2026 Preseason Week 2 score predictions
Objective
Maximize exact full scorelines, then exact individual-team scores, then correct winners, then lowest SSE. SSE penalizes 25 for any wrong winner/tie mismatch.
Environment
Week 1 finals: CIN 16 DET 14; PIT 28 GB 9; NE 13 IND 13; LAC 27 HOU 7; ARI 27 LV 14; TEN 19 SF 13; DEN 27 ATL 7; WAS 20 MIA 7; TB 24 NYJ 16; BUF 29 CAR 14; CHI 34 CLE 10; MIN 13 NYG 10; LAR 20 KC 12; JAX 24 NO 20; BAL 24 PHI 7; DAL 17 SEA 7. Thursday W2: LV 22 HOU 20. W1 totals clustered 23-44 (avg ~34). Week 2 books 36.5-39.5. Bias to modal football numbers 13/17/20/24.
Friday Jets-PIT and CAR-JAX were underway/finished but boxscore pages did not return usable finals. Not on this slate.
Game notes and scores
GB 17 @ DEN 24 (DEN -7, 39.5) Love/starters get another limited drive after a 9-play FG last week; they sit Week 3 for Cardinals joints. Nix ~14 snaps in home debut; Denver depth crushed Atlanta 27-7. Packers backups were overrun 28-9. 24-17 matches the market and common NFL score.
WAS 17 @ DET 20 (DET -4.5, 37.5) Goff confirmed out (first preseason since 2022). Dobbs starts and splits with Altmyer. Campbell still playing a significant number of non-QB starters. Daniels not expected; Mariota out; Hartman/Kaliakmanis handle Washington. Without Goff this is closer than 24-17; 20-17 fits the total.
BUF 17 @ CLE 20 (CLE -1.5 to -3, ~37) Allen sits after extended Week 1 work. Sanders starts the first half vs Kyle Allen/Buechele. Browns offense scored 10 last week; Bills backups looked better. Home QB-audition lean, classic 20-17.
ATL 13 @ IND 20 (IND -3.5, 37-40.5) Both staffs sitting starters after joints. Strand over Rush for Atlanta; Tua out, Penix still ACL-limited. Leonard starts, Richardson in relief; Jones sits all preseason. Falcons managed 7 in Denver. Home depth + weak ATL QB room.
BAL 17 @ MIN 20 (MIN -2.5/-3, 36.5-37.5) Joints prioritized; Murray sits. McCarthy/Wentz vs Huntley/Fagnano. Both won Week 1 (MIN 13-10, BAL 24-7). Backup slog, slight home edge.
NO 17 @ LAR 20 (NO -1 to -3, 37.5) Stafford out again; Simpson had a 2-TD debut vs KC (Rams 20-12). Shough gets more work; Tyson out ~2 months. Line drifted toward pick'em; Covers/betting guide prefer Rams. Take home 20-17.
NYG 17 @ MIA 13 (NYG -2.5/-3.5, 36.5-38) Miami scored a starter TD then collapsed to 7 vs WAS. Giants only 10 vs MIN but Dart/Winston/Haener depth is still better than Miami's Ewers-out/Willis/Miller/Gronowski group. Fight-filled joints. Low-scoring road favorite.
CHI 20 @ CIN 17 (mixed CHI -2.5 / CIN -1.5, 37-40.5) Bears backups 34-10 vs CLE. Bagent hamstring; Keenum expected majority; Caleb maybe a taste. Burrow 13 snaps Week 1 and likely limited again behind a leaky line (Johnson/Clifford later). Trust Chicago depth over Cincinnati backups.
PHI 13 @ NE 17 (PHI -2.5 / NE +3.5 books mixed, ~36.5-38) Hurts and Maye long shots to play. Eagles backups combined for 7 vs BAL. DeVito threw for 138/TD in the 13-13 Colts tie. Fade Philadelphia's second unit at Gillette.
KC 17 @ TB 24 (TB -5.5, 36.5-37) Mayfield's first preseason snaps under Bowles; Mahomes out entirely (Fields/Nussmeier). Bucs 24-16 vs Jets; Chiefs 12 vs Rams. 24-17 maps the spread.
DAL 17 @ ARI 20 (ARI -1/-1.5, 37.5-38) Prescott out; Milton/Howell backup battle. Jeremiyah Love sitting rest of preseason. Beck rib status TBD; Brissett/Minshew/Slovis rotation. Cardinals 27-14; Cowboys 17-7. Slight home lean, modal 20-17.
SEA 13 @ TEN 20 (TEN -3/-4.5, 38-38.5) Ward scattershot in debut; Saleh wants another look; Trubisky dinged so Levis heavy. Seahawks 7 vs DAL; Lock/Milroe bulk, Darnold maybe a series. Price may debut. Home Titans over Seattle backups.
Assumptions
No ties. Cluster 13/17/20/24 for exact-score and exact-team hits. Outcomes: DEN, DET, CLE, IND, MIN, LAR, NYG, CHI, NE, TB, ARI, TEN. Fades: Saints (Tyson/Simpson) and Eagles backups.
