Week 2 NFL Lines: Packers are 9.5-point favorites over Bears

DraftKings has released the sportsbook’s opening lines for Week 2 of the regular season, which feature the now 0-1 Green Bay Packers as 9.5-point favorites at Lambeau Field against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. The Packers look to bounce back after a 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in their season opener, while the Bears pulled off an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1.

Hopefully, Green Bay will have receiver Allen Lazard (ankle) and right tackle Elgton Jenkins (knee, pectoral) for the game. Along with tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), they were two of the Packers’ three injured players on their inactive list against the Vikings. Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported on Sunday that not only was Bakhtiari going to miss Week 1, but it is expected that he will also miss the Packers’ home opener.

Four Green Bay players exited Week 1 with injuries: guard Jon Runyan Jr. (concussion), inside linebacker Quay Walker (shoulder), inside linebacker Krys Barnes (ankle) and cornerback Keisean Nixon (shoulder.) Barnes’ injury seems the most serious, as he was carted off the field in an air cast. Barnes was actually Walker’s replacement for when he left the field with an injury and was replaced himself by Isaiah McDuffie, the Packers’ fourth and final option at inside linebacker. Expect practice squad linebacker Ray Wilborn to get a call up next Saturday in place of receiver Juwann Winfree or safety Micah Abernathy, depending on if Lazard can play against the Bears.

Runyan was replaced by rookie fourth-round pick Zach Tom at left guard after he banged helmets with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and two Vikings on a play that took him out of the game. Nixon was mostly featured as a special teamer, but was injured on the team’s single snap in dime defense in Week 1. When Nixon left the game, he was replaced as a vice on the punt return team by starting cornerback Eric Stokes.

NFL Week 2 Lines

Thursday Night Football

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday Early

New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday Late

Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders

Sunday Night Football

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Monday Night Football

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles

Beyond the point spread, DraftKings lists the total in the game at 44 and the Packers’ moneyline at -435, which carries an implied probability that the Packers win 81 percent of the time. That’s good news, as a 0-2 start generally means the beginning of the end for a team. On average, about 10 percent of teams that start the season 0-2 end up making the playoffs, though, the change in playoff format with seven playoff teams per conference and the expanded 17-game season likely boost those numbers.