-
Mike Schultz
NFL Preseason Week 3: Schedule, Game Previews and Betting Odds
It’s Week 3 of the NFL preseason and let’s just admit it: we’re more than ready for the regular season. Typically, the third preseason game is the closest thing to a dress rehearsal that a team will see prior to the real deal. Coaches and staff try to recreate the schedules that players will adhere to during the regular season and create game plans for their opponent. But with a few major injuries around the league in Week 2, will teams too worried to lose an impact player shy away from player starters deep into the first half?
Check out our Week 3 NFL Preseason betting odds right here.
NFL Preseason Week 3 Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| New England at Carolina | August 28, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Tennessee at Kansas City | August 28, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Detroit at Jacksonville | August 28, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Pittsburgh at Buffalo | August 29, 2015 | 4:00pm EST |
| Atlanta at Miami | August 29, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants | August 29, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Minnesota at Dallas | August 29, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Cleveland at Tampa Bay | August 29, 2015 | 7:00pm EST |
| Chicago at Cincinnati | August 29, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Washington at Baltimore | August 29, 2015 | 7:30pm EST |
| Indianapolis at St. Louis | August 29, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Seattle at San Diego | August 29, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| Philadelphia at Green Bay | August 29, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
| San Francisco at Denver | August 29, 2015 | 9:00pm EST |
| Houston at New Orleans | August 30, 2015 | 4:00pm EST |
| Arizona at Oakland | August 30, 2015 | 8:00pm EST |
Friday, August 28th, 2015 Betting Previews
New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers
After a come-from-behind-win against the Saints last week, the Patriots aren’t likely to give Brady much playing time this week. With his suspension still in limbo, second-stringer Jimmy Gorappolo needs the extra snaps leading into the regular season. For the Panthers, its bad news as star receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in practice and will miss the season. Quarterback Cam Newton noticeably misses his favorite target and the Panthers, likely unwilling to sacrifice a preseason win in exchange for more injuries, will probably concede this game to the reigning champs.
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs barely escaped with a win against the Seahawks last week with a makeshift offense line and a sluggish performance. Without much to gain and an established quarterback, the Chiefs are unlikely to play starters deep into this game. The Titans, on the other hand, are still trying to decide who their starting quarterback will be. Zach Mettenberger, interim starter last season, is making a case for the starting job as rookie Marcus Mariota has quite the learning curve in front of him. Both should get ample playing time and because of the competition between the two, should get the win over the Chiefs.
Kansas City: 5.5-point favorites Over/Under 43
Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars
Lions quarterback Matt Stafford played little last week and you can expect the same this week. Look for Detroit to continue to work their running game as they continue to sort out the depth chart in what will likely be a multi-back workload come regular season. For the Jaguars, the more snaps Blake Bortles gets the better. He’s been impressive this preseason and will likely play much of the first half. While Detroit is a better team when pitting starters against starters, the Jaguars appear eager to make a statement with a win this week and will likely get it.
Jacksonville: 2-point favorite Over/Under: 42
Saturday, August 29th, 2015 Betting Previews
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
What used to be a three man competition at quarterback for the Bills appears to be down to two. It’s likely that Tyrod Taylor will again get the start against the Steelers with Matt Cassell taking second string snaps. The Steelers suffered a major loss as Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey broke his ankle against the Packers last week. With several proven veterans on the offensive side of the ball, it’s possible that the Steelers let the fringe players fight for roster spots while the starters see limited action. Buffalo should squeak by with a win in this one.
Buffalo: 2.5-point favorite Over/Under 42.5
New York Jets at New York Giants
The Jets offensive saw improvement on the ground, but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled last week against the Falcons first string defense. Running back Chris Ivory was impressive and offered a glimmer of hope for the offense on a team that relies heavily on defense. For the Giants, last year’s breakout rookie Odell Beckham, Jr. hasn’t looked himself, failing to catch all five targets last week. Watch for him to get ample playing time to regain confidence. Eli Manning has struggled in a new offensive scheme this preseason, but backup Ryan Nassib played well. The Giants may have to gamble injury to give Manning more playing time to get comfortable. If the Giants go to their reserves early, look for them to get a win.
Odds: Pick ’em (New York Giants -125) Over/Under 42
Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins
The Falcons offense looks like a well-oiled machine so far this preseason, so it’s likely the starting crew will see limited playing time while the depth chart is solidified in time for the start of the season. The Dolphins are 0-2 so far this preseason, but it’s not because the first team isn’t performing. Ryan Tannehill has been impressive and the defense should be one of the best in the league. Head coach Joe Philbin doesn’t seem distressed as he seems to be using the preseason as a means to see what his bench players can do, which means the Falcons will likely win.
Miami: 3.5-point favorite Over/Under 44
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys
Going 3-0 in the preseason so far, things are looking good for the Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer is likely to give his starters very limited playing time after playing well the previous weeks. Week 3 is looking like an opportunity for backups to solidify their roster spots. It’s a good time to test the bench for the Vikings as the Jason Garrett is known for not taking the preseason too seriously. It appears that the Cowboys are willing to give their starters little action, especially with Tony Romo still healing after two consecutive seasons with back surgery. The Vikings are looking to make a statement heading into the regular season and going 4-0 would do just that.
Dallas: 1-point favorite Over/Under 42
Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 3 is the most important for teams such as the Browns and the Bucs. Both need to see significant improvement on both sides of the ball that will determine several starting roles while most teams are just trying to set their depth. The Browns have declared Josh McCown starting quarterback, but Johnny Manziel has outplayed him in the previous two games by a wide margin. Manziel won’t be playing in this game due to soreness in his throwing arm, giving McCown more playing time. The Bucs are seeing significant improvement from rookie Jameis Winston, who should get plenty of playing time this week, but receiver Mike Evans won’t be playing, giving Winston little to work with. If Manziel were in this game, I’d say Cleveland wins, but without, it’s leaning towards the Bucs.
Tampa Bay: 3-point favorite Over/Under 41.5
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
The saga of Robert Griffin continues. The embattled Washington quarterback was injured against the Lions last week and didn’t return to the game. His poor performances looks even worse when compared to backup Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousin’s good numbers. With Griffin at risk for further injury, the Redskins will seek to continue putting up numbers in the running game while giving McCoy and Cousins more playing time. The Ravens are likely to do business as usual. Joe Flacco and the offense should play deep into this game, while the first string defense should see plenty of playing time too. The longer the starting units play, the worse the Ravens will beat up on the Redskins.
Baltimore: 4-point favorite Over/Under 43.5
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bears have started the preseason 2-0, which is good considering they’d been pegged as the worst team in the league prior to the start of the preseason. With a new offensive and defensive scheme, Chicago’s starting units should see a lot of field time against the Bengals. The Bears’ defense will have a big test against Cincinnati’s big backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Benard, while Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton tries to find his groove after turning in two less-than-impressive performances so far. The Bears have a bit more to determine in this preseason, but don’t quite have the fire power to take on the Bengals stout defense with three of their four top receivers sitting this one out. It’ll be a low scoring affair, but the Bengals should win this one.
Cincinnati: 3.5-point favorite Over/Under 42.5
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
The Packers lost Jordy Nelson for the season to a torn ACL last week against the Steelers, which means they aren’t going to risk anyone else’s health for preseason playing time. It’ll be a big test for Green Bay’s next-man-up at receiver, likely Jeff Janis or Ty Montgomery, to see if the offense can still flow without Jordy in the line up. The Eagles are still trying to gel after their roster had a big overhaul in the off season. Sam Bradford needs reps in Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense and the defense will want the test against the Packers top-tier offense. The Eagles take this one, because the Packers’ roster will be in bubble wrap by half time.
Philadelphia: 3-point favorite Over/Under 48.5
Indianapolis Colts at St. Louis Rams
Both teams are 0-2 in the preseason, but one team will get a win in Week 3. The Colts offense has been slow to get moving in the first two weeks, putting up only 11 points against a weak Chicago defense in Week 2. New additions to the offense, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Phillip Dorsett have seen limited playing time, but could see extended action this week as they try to get rolling before the regular season starts. The Rams need serious work on offense and will rely heavily on defense from here on out this season. Quarterback Nick Foles should get a lot of work against the Colts, as he has yet to find any chemistry with his receivers. Andrew Luck and company will prove to be too much, even for a very good St. Louis defense.
St. Louis: 2.5-point favorite Over/Under 42.5
Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers
The Seahawk’s are 0-2 so far, which means this could be a true dress rehearsal for Seattle. Russell Wilson should see plenty of snaps and look to pick up his game, while Marshawn Lynch carries much of the work load. Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon are likely to see the field after both sat out in Week 2, which means the Chargers may be in full rehearsal mode against the Seahawks. With two playoff contenders battling it out in the most competitive week of the preseason, the Seahawks look primed to get their first win in exhibition.
Seattle: 1-point favorite Over/Under 42
San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos
The 49ers saw more turnover in the off season than any other team and need the preseason to see what they’re working with. With several starting jobs up for grabs, San Francisco will use Week 3 as a test to see how the roster shakes out. Colin Kaepernick will get ample playing time as he tries to get comfortable behind a shaky offensive line. For Denver, it’s unlikely that Peyton Manning will see much playing time despite limited action all preseason. Look for the Broncos to give running backs CJ Anderson and Ronnie Hillman all the yardage they can handle. While the 49ers will likely play their starters a bit longer than the Broncos’, Denver’s backup units will be able to handle this one and get the win.
Denver: 5-point favorite Over/Under 42.5
Sunday, August 30th, 2015 Betting Previews
Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints
The Texans declared Brian Hoyer the starting quarterback earlier this week, which means he’ll get the bulk of the workload against the Saints. With one starting role filled, the rest of the offense needs plenty of work with running back Arian Foster out for the year and their no. 1 receiver leaving in free-agency in the off season. There are several spots up for grabs in Houston. For the Saints, the real work in progress is the defense. One of the worst in the league last year, New Orleans needs to find some confidence in this all-important Week 3 game. Drew Brees is likely to see a lot of time under center as he needs to adjust to life without Jimmy Graham in the line up. He’ll have a good test against J.J. Watt and the rest of Houston’s defense, but should come out on top.
New Orleans: 3.5-point favorite Over/Under 44
Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders
Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has had an injury-prone career, which means news that he is unlikely to play much this week is not surprising. Drew Stanton is slated to get most of the first string snaps against the Raiders’ rapidly improving defense. The Cardinals have little to worry about on the other side of the ball, as their defense was one of the best in the league last year and looks to be just as good this year. It will be a good test for the young Raiders offense as Derek Carr and Amari Cooper have found good chemistry in the preseason. Oakland has a lot to prove and they look like they’re hungry to make a statement, even if it’s in the preseason. It won’t be enough as the Cardinals depth will be too much for the Raiders to overcome.
