Optimal NFL football knockout, survivor pool picks, advice, strategy for Week 2, 2024: Fade this road favorite

The New England Patriots wreaked havoc on NFL survivor pool picks when they pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1, defeating the heavily favored Cincinnati Bengals on the road. The Week 2 NFL schedule features several intriguing matchups, but for the second consecutive week, there will be no double-digit favorites in the Week 2 NFL odds. The biggest favorites of the week are the Baltimore Ravens, who are laying 8.5 points at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. Should you target the Ravens when making your Week 2 NFL knockout pool picks, or would it make more sense to target a team like the Detroit Lions, who are 7-point favorites against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Before finalizing any Week 2 NFL survivor picks, see which team the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model just went all-in on .

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 184-130 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 38-22 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

The model can be used to crush the Survivor Pool format, which calls for picking one team to win each week but never using the same team twice. In Week 1, the model recommended the Saints as its top survivor pick. New Orleans won in 79% of SportsLine's simulations, and the Saints dominated Carolina, 47-10, in what was the most lopsided game of the opening week.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest Week 2 NFL odds and locked in its Week 2 survivor pool pick. You can only see who the model is backing this week at SportsLine .

Top Week 2 NFL survivor pool predictions

In Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, the model is shying away from the Seahawks , even though they are coming off a victory and are 3.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots. The Patriots pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1, defeating the heavily-favored Cincinnati Bengals on the road. New England was outstanding on the defensive side of the ball, and used a punishing rushing attack to get the job done against the Bengals.

Seattle defeated the Denver Broncos 26-20 in Week 1, but were somewhat sloppy on both sides of the ball, and running back Kennth Walker III got banged up and is listed as questionable heading into Week 2. The other factor working against the Seahawks is the location of this game. Seattle has to travel across the country to play in Gillette Stadium for this early kickoff matchup. See which team to pick instead here .

How to make Week 2 NFL survivor pool picks

Instead, the model is backing a surprising road team that wins outright in almost 80% of simulations. The time to pick this team is now, and you can only see the play over at SportsLine .

Which surprising team is a must-back in your Week 2 NFL survivor pool? Visit SportsLine now to see which team carries you to victory in Week 2, all from the advanced computer model that nailed its Week 1 survivor pick and is up well over $7,000 since its inception .