NFL Week 3 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Here’s a quick look at all Week 3 games, played Sunday unless noted.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns, Thursday
It will be strange seeing this rivalry without Ben Roethlisberger as he used to absolutely own Cleveland. Pittsburgh did win both last season. Both teams lost in ugly fashion on Sunday in Week 2 as the Steelers couldn’t get much going on offence vs. New England, and the Browns somehow blew a 13-point home lead to the Jets with under two minutes left.
Pick ATS: Cleveland
Houston Texans at Chicago Bears
The return of former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, now in charge with Houston, to Chicago. That neither of these teams is 0-2 entering Week 3 is moderately surprising. Houston has been quite competitive with a Week 1 tie vs. the Colts and Week 2 seven-point loss in Denver. The Bears are averaging all of 76.5 passing yards so far with so little talent on offence.
Pick ATS: Chicago
Las Vegas Raiders at Tennessee Titans
Short week for the Titans as they were absolutely embarrassed on Monday night in Buffalo to fall to 0-2. QB Ryan Tannehill had his worst game with Tennessee and was pulled – but he remains the starter over raw rookie Malik Willis. The Raiders fell to 0-2 on Sunday with a shocking 29-23 OT home loss to Arizona, allowing the tying TD (and then two-point conversion) as time expired. The Raiders were driving in OT to attempt the potential winning field goal but lost on a 59-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The loser here can forget about the playoffs because 0-3 teams just don’t make it.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas
Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts
Could be an AFC playoff preview, although the Colts have been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments at 0-1-1. Matt Ryan looks done at age 37 with one TD and four picks thus far. The Chiefs are on extra rest after winning a wild 27-24 home matchup on Thursday in Week 2 vs. the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes rarely loses in September.
Pick ATS: Indianapolis (alternate line of +7)
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Short week for Buffalo – and it’s going to be HOT in Miami – after Bills blew out the visiting Titans on Monday night. MVP favourite Josh Allen threw for four TDs, three to Stefon Diggs. Buffalo looks like clearly the best team in the league so far. Miami was down 21 points in the fourth quarter Sunday in Baltimore but won 42-38 behind the game of Tua Tagovailoa’s career, throwing for 469 yards and six TDs (tying franchise record). His receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is incomparable.
Pick ATS: Miami
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Short week for the Vikings after playing terrible offensively in a loss at Philadelphia on Monday night, but then again QB Kirk Cousins has a history of playing poorly and losing on Monday nights other than against the Bears. Detroit was a favourite in Week 2 for the first time since November 2020 and beat Washington 36-27. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft and the Defensive Rookie of the Year favourite Aidan Hutchinson three sacks.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Baltimore blew a 21-point home fourth-quarter lead Sunday and lost in the final seconds to Miami. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did something no one else in NFL history had accomplished, throwing a touchdown pass of 75-plus yards and running for a 70-plus yard touchdown in the same game. The Patriots were 17-14 winners in Pittsburgh, but they are not a good offensive team right now and weren’t in the preseason/training camp, either.
Pick ATS: Baltimore (alternate line of -2.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
The Jets had one of the most unlikely wins in NFL regular-season history Sunday as Joe Flacco threw two TD passes in the final 1:22 to rally from down 13 and stun Cleveland 31-30. Flacco had four TD passes overall and will start again this week with Zach Wilson not quite ready to return from injury. Cincinnati made the Super Bowl last year despite Joe Burrow getting pummeled behind a bad offensive line. The Bengals thought they addressed that in the offseason, but Burrow is still taking a beating and his team is a surprising 0-2.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders
Short week for the Eagles after beating Minnesota 24-7 on Monday. QB Jalen Hurts threw his name into the MVP discussion by completing 26-for-31 for 333 yards and a score and rushing for two touchdowns. The Eagles have looked arguably better than any NFC team thus far. They will see one of their former quarterbacks in Washington’s Carson Wentz. He put up big numbers again on Sunday, but the Commanders lost in Detroit. Philadelphia swept last season.
Pick ATS: Washington (alternate line of +7)
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Saints QB Jameis Winston reportedly is playing through four fractures in his back, and he didn’t look great Sunday in a 20-10 home loss to the Bucs with three interceptions. Top running back Alvin Kamara was inactive because of his rib injury and is iffy for this one. The seat of Panthers coach Matt Rhule got hotter on Sunday with a 19-16 loss at the Giants, although to be fair the team is quite close to being 2-0 instead of 0-2. These clubs split last season, each winning at home.
Pick ATS: Carolina (alternate line of +3.5)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers
Our first NFL matchup between young QBs Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert … if Herbert plays. He suffered a rib cartilage fracture in last Thursday’s loss in Kansas City, but it’s likely a matter of pain tolerance if he can go Sunday and having the few extra days can only help. If not, it will be NFL career backup Chase Daniel. The Jaguars already look miles better than last year and upset the Colts 24-0 on Sunday. Jacksonville is 6-30 in its past 36 games and four of those victories came against the Colts.
Pick ATS: Jacksonville (alternate line of +7.5)
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
These teams split in the 2022 regular season, but the Rams easily handled the visiting Cardinals in the Wild-Card round, 34-11. The Rams might be having a Super Bowl hangover as they were dominated in Week 1 and then nearly blew a home matchup vs. a bad Atlanta team in Week 2. With the Falcons driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown, Jalen Ramsey had a crucial interception. Arizona had no right winning in Las Vegas on Sunday, but Kyler Murray worked some true magic on the final play of regulation and then the Cards got a shocking defensive TD in overtime for the victory.
Pick ATS: Arizona
Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks
Maybe the NFC’s two worst teams and ahead of Week 2, the Seahawks learned they lost arguably their best defensive player, safety Jamal Adams, for the season to injury. Seattle then lost 27-7 in San Francisco. The Falcons are 0-2 but have lost those by only a combined five points. Rookie first-round receiver Drake London had his first big game Sunday in a loss at the Rams with eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.
Pick ATS: Seattle
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The way Tom Brady has been talking of late, it sure seems like this will be his final NFL season to save his marriage to Gisele Bundchen. Thus, unless these teams meet in the playoffs – very possible, — it could be Brady’s last matchup against fellow QB legend Aaron Rodgers. These teams didn’t play last season, but Brady and the Bucs upset Rodgers and the Pack at Lambeau Field in the NFC title game following the 2020 campaign. Tampa Bay will be without four-time Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans due to a one-game suspension for his role in a brawl this past Sunday in New Orleans. Two other former Pro Bowl wideouts, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones, missed Week 2 injured.
Pick ATS: Green Bay
San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos
Sunday night game. The Niners were widely expected to either release or trade 2021 starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before this season but at the last minute agreed to a reworked contract for him to serve as Trey Lance’s backup. Smart move as Lance suffered a season-ending broken ankle in Sunday’s win over Seattle. Denver has looked atrocious offensively despite the addition of QB Russell Wilson in the offseason but did beat Houston 16-7 on Sunday.
Pick ATS: Denver
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, Monday
Not exactly the most appealing MNF game of the year with Dak Prescott out for the Cowboys. Backup Cooper Rush improved to 2-0 in his starting career by leading a 20-17 upset over Cincinnati on Sunday. Linebacker Micah Parsons won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and has been even better so far this year. The Giants are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Graham Gano kicked a 56-yard field goal with 3:34 to play in Sunday’s 19-16 win over Carolina.
Pick ATS: Dallas (alternate line of +3)