Week 2 of the preseason will get underway Thursday night with three games on the schedule. While not all of these games count in the standings, fans showed why the NFL is the king of all sports right now in the US as they packed stadiums across the country last week.

While many starters played just a series or two, or sat out entirely in Week 1, look for this weekend’s games to be a bit different. The second and third games of the preseason are when coaches like to push the limits when it comes to playing the starters a bit more each game.

Lions, Cowboys biggest favorites

The preseason may not count in terms of NFL standings, but Las Vegas sportsbooks look forward to the return of the NFL each year, even the preseason games! Yes, believe it or not, many sports fans wager on the NFL preseason. While some gaming experts think that is very foolish, others believe that certain teams are driven to win all of the time - even in exhibition games.

This week, Las Vegas has installed the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions as the two biggest favorites on the odds board. Both Dallas and Detroit are 5-point favorites as they prepare to host their first preseason game respectfully. The Cowboys will be hosting the Colts, while the Lions will take on the New York Jets from Ford Field in Detroit.

NFL TV lineup and odds

It may be the preseason, but that isn’t stopping fans from from heading to their favorite local watering hole or just getting comfortable on their couch at home and watching the games. This week, fans will once again have several Nfl Preseason games to watch live as the NFL Network and ESPN will carry the bulk of the action.

A total of eight games will be aired nationally between both stations. Below is a list of the entire Week 2 preseason schedule, along with the current odds and TV schedule.

Thursday, Aug. 17

  • Buffalo at Philadelphia (-4) -- 7:00 pm
  • Baltimore at Miami (-3) -- 7:00 pm
  • Tampa Bay (-1) at Jacksonville -- 8:00 pm -- ESPN

Friday, Aug 18

  • Minnesota at Seattle (-3) 10:00 pm -- NFLN
  • Saturday, Aug. 19
  • Carolina at Tennessee (-3) -- 3:00 pm -- NFLN
  • Kansas City (-1) at Cincinnati -- 7:00 pm
  • Indianapolis at Dallas (-5) -- 7:00 pm -- NFLN
  • N.Y. Jets at Detroit (-5) -- 7:30 pm
  • Green Bay at Washington (-3) -- 7:30 pm
  • New England at Houston (-1) -- 8:00 pm
  • Denver at San Francisco (-2) -- 10:00 pm -- NFLN
  • L.A. Rams at Oakland (-3) -- 10:00 pm
  • Chicago at Arizona (-3) -- 10:00 pm

Sunday, Aug 20

  • Atlanta (-2) at Pittsburgh -- 4:00 pm -- NFLN
  • New Orleans at L.A. Chargers (-3) -- 8:00 pm -- NFLN

Monday, Aug 21

  • N.Y. Giants at Cleveland (-1) -- 8:00 pm -- ESPN