Garoppolo should fire San Francisco 49ers to victory

Best handicap bet
San Francisco -6
2pts 10-11 general
Detroit scored a touchdown within 20 seconds of their opener against the New York Jets - but very little went right for them after that.

The wounded Lions were smashed 48-17 on Monday night as a Jets team few people expected much of this season scored 31 points in the third quarter.

The absolute last thing Detroit would have wanted just six days after that is a cross-country trip to California.

New Lions coach Matt Patricia has had virtually no time to put things right after their embarrassing debut - and there was no shortage of things to work on.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was intercepted four times and back-up Matt Cassel added another when the starter was knocked out of the game temporarily.

There had been few signs of promise in the Lions' pre-season campaign and they could succumb to another bashing in San Francisco.

The 49ers are also winless but there was no disgrace in their 24-16 defeat to Minnesota, who are one of the best all-round teams in the league.

It was San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's first defeat as a starter in his eighth game but he has the tools to get back on track quickly with young tight end George Kittle emerging as a favourite target.

Next best
Philadelphia -3
1pt 5-6 Betway
Punters looking for teams to put in multiples should not shy away from heavy favourites the LA Rams, who look full value for their double-figure line against Arizona, and the LA Chargers, whose opponents Buffalo looked a shambles in Week One.

But backing a team with a smaller start to give up is preferable and Super Bowl champions Philadelphia can keep their winning run going against the opening Sunday's surprise package Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers stunned New Orleans 48-40 on the road, riding the arm of veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, but their offence should find things a lot tougher against the Eagles.

Philly relied on their defence to beat Atlanta 18-12 in the season's first game but there's no denying it was an impressive scalp to take. Playing on the opening Thursday has also given them a handy extra three days to rest and prepare for this test.

Best points bet
Over 47.5 points in Indianapolis at Washington
1pt 19-20 Coral, Ladbrokes
Washington have a strong chance of making it two wins out of two when Indianapolis visit, but the Colts should be capable of contributing to a decent points total.

The home team have had an attractive early schedule and made no mistake against a transitional Arizona side, winning 24-6 on the road in veteran quarterback Alex Smith's first game since leaving Kansas City.

Another golden oldie, running back Adrian Peterson, has really looked the part and a Colts team who conceded 34 points to Cincinnati in their first game could be in for another tough time.

Indianapolis will be pleased to see quarterback Andrew Luck back on the field and he could have some success with a short-passing game. Head coach Frank Reich looks to be doing the right things to turn the Colts around and he could get the most out of a limited roster.

Best player bet
DeAndre Hopkins to score a touchdown
1pts Evs Betfred, Hills
Tennessee have their fair share of problems going into Sunday's AFC South clash against Houston.

Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota is battling an elbow injury and head coach Mike Vrabel has said he expects to put Mariota and back-up Blaine Gabbert on the field at some point against Houston.

A big problem for their defence comes in the form of Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best in the game and a regular menace to Tennessee.

Hopkins has had more than 80 receiving yards in seven of his last eight games against the Titans, including a whopping 238 in one game and he can be fancied to score a touchdown.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has perhaps received more praise than he deserves from some observers but one area he excels at is the deep pass and Hopkins could breeze past the Tennessee secondary, who struggled to keep tabs on Miami's receivers in their opener.

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