The second week of the preseason kicks off with a couple of Thursday night matchups, where the Packers will host the young and battered Browns. Find out where we have decided to place our NFL picks in this matchup.

NFL Odds have the Packers as -4 favorites. Now that the preseason has had a week to shape up, we should expect to see more of these team’s starters, and maybe even a game plan.

Do you think the Packers will look to win this game, or will the Browns steal one at Lambeau? Find out where we have decided to place our NFL picks in this battle.

Last week recap 

Aaron RodgersThe Packers visited the Chargers out in San Diego last week, and even though they were successful is breaking Ryan Matthews collarbone, they did not come away with their first preseason win. The Chargers got a late fourth quarter touchdown to steal the game, but neither team nor star quarterback looked good. Aaron Rodgers fumbled on the Packers’ first drive, and also threw an interception. He finished his night going just 2-8.

Brandon Weeden faired a little better in his first NFL game, as he led the Browns to a win 19-17 over the Lions. Weeden didn’t fair great in the game, only throwing for 3-9 and an interception. He did throw for 63 yards on those three completions, but the Browns will need him to be a bit more accurate, and he will need to get there fast if the Browns don’t want to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season.

What to expect from Week 2

Weeks two and three are the preseason weeks to watch. Normally, starters get more time on the field, and normally, the better team wins the game. That being said, I do like the Packers in this spot. I think Rodgers will play a lot better in this week’s game, despite the Browns having a great pass defense (about all they have).

On the Browns side, their star rookie running back had to have his left knee scoped, which will likely put him out for the rest of the regular season. With him out, there goes one of their most dynamic weapons on offense. With the shakiness of Weeden here at the beginning, and the likelihood of the Packers trying a bit harder this preseason game, it doesn’t look good for the Brownies.

The Sharp Pick

In last year’s preseason, the Packers followed the trend of not caring about the first preseason game. They ironically lost to the Browns in that first week of the preseason. However, in their final three-preseason games, the Packers won all three. Rodgers played in almost the entire first half of that second game, and I expect to see the same this Thursday.

Even though I have a high regard for the Browns’ pass defense, the no huddle of the Packers will be deadly this season, and to the Browns this Thursday. With a young team, they won’t be able to recover from their recent game in Week 1, and I see the Packers treating the first half of this game like it’s real. I expect Green Bay to jump out early, and not look back, even if their roster bubble guys play most of the second half.

My Pick: Packers -4