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NFL Betting Preview: Week 3

It feels like just yesterday when the preseason began and football season was finally upon us. Now we are already in Week 3, as the first few weeks of the season have flown by.

This week, get ready to see some great matchups like the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers squaring off against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Green Bay Packers taking on the San Francisco 49ers.

It all begins with the Carolina Panthers traveling to Houston to take on the Texans for Thursday Night Football. So here is your betting preview of this week’s football action before Week 3 kicks off later tonight.

*All odds and betting lines provided by WynnBet.

Carolina Panthers (2-0) vs. Houston Texans (1-1)

Spread: CAR (-7 1/2)

Money Line: CAR (-410); HOU (+330)

Over/Under: 43 Points

One thing that Sam Darnold didn’t do a lot of in his first few seasons was win games, but all of that has changed now that he is no longer playing with the New York Jets.

Darnold’s Carolina Panthers are currently 2-0, having beat his former team 19-14 in Week 1 before dominating against New Orleans Saints last weekend. Even playing on the road, Darnold has a great chance to keep his team undefeated this week, as they will be going up against a bad Houston Texans team.

Houston’s third round pick Davis Mills will be taking the snaps this week. Mills played after Tyrod Taylor got injured on Sunday and did not have great success, competing just eight of his 18 passes for 102 yards.

The Panthers should be able to not only win this one, but cover the spread. Still, anything can happen on Thursday night.

Best Bet:

My favorite bet for this game is taking the under on total points. Carolina’s defense should be able to keep the rookie off the board and the Panthers offense has not yet shown itself to be the type to completely blow out a team.

Arizona Cardinals (2-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

Spread: ARI (-7 1/2)

Money Line: ARI (-355); JAX (+285)

Over/Under: 52 Points

Kyler Murray is already on the way-to-early MVP watch, as the dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks has put up some gaudy stats through two weeks of NFL action.

Murray has the Cardinals off to a 2-0 start, beating the Tennessee Titans convincingly in Week 1, before a taking down the Minnesota Vikings in a 34-33 nail-bitter in Week 2.

On the other sideline, Jacksonville features a high-profile young quarterback whose season has gotten off to a much different start. Trevor Lawrence has struggled through two weeks, throwing five interceptions to just four touchdowns so far.

Despite the slow start, Lawrence is not the problem in Jacksonville, as there was a reason they were in position to take him with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

We now have two games in a row where the road team is heavily-favored and there is a good reason for that. Unless Arizona gets sloppy turning over the football, they should have no problem covering the spread in this one.

Best Bet:

Don’t overthink this one. Take the Cardinals to win by more than a touchdown.

Indianapolis Colts (0-2) vs. Tennessee Titans (1-1)

Spread: TEN (-5)

Money Line: IND (+210); TEN (-250)

Over/Under: 48 Points

The Colts have dropped their first two games of the season, taking tough losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams.

Now to make matters worse, Carsen Wentz is currently dealing with not just one, but two sprained ankles. Although he is yet to be ruled out for Sunday’s contest, it is hard to be too confident in the Colts this week.

The Titans were embarrassed back in Week 1 in their home opener, getting blown out by the Arizona Cardinals. Expect a better showing at home this time around for Derrick Henry and the Titans.

If Carsen Wentz is ruled out of this game, I would expect the Titans to cover the spread and beat the Colts.

Best Bet:

Through two weeks, the Titans defense has given up over 30 points in each of their first two contests. Meanwhile the Colts have allowed seven touchdowns. I would take the over in points here.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) vs. Detroit Lions (0-2)

Spread: BAL (-8)

Money Line: BAL (-400); DET (+320)

Over/Under: 50 Points

The Baltimore Ravens are playing on a short-week after a thrilling Sunday Night Football matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Baltimore showed a lot of grit in that game, outscoring the Chiefs 12-0 in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback.

There is a chance for a letdown this week playing against a bad team on the road in Detroit, but the Ravens should still be able to come away with a victory.

Even on the road, it would be a stunning upset to see the Baltimore Ravens drop this one to the Lions. The only question is will they win by more than a touchdown and cover the spread.

Best Bet:

This very well could be a blowout for the Ravens, but the eight-point spread has me a bit wary to lay money on this game. I’d bet the Ravens on the money line, maybe as part of a parlay.

Washington Football Team (1-1) vs. Buffalo Bills (1-1)

Spread: BUF (-7 1/2)

Money Line: WFT (+280); BUF (-350)

Over/Under: 45 Points

The oddsmakers clearly aren’t respecting the “thrilling” victory the Washington Football Team enjoyed last Thursday, as they are expecting the Bills to win this one by more than a touchdown.

After losing Week 1 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, the Bills traveled to Miami and put a beatdown on the Dolphins, winning 35-0. Buffalo is the better team and should find a way to win this one, but Washington could keep the game close.

Best Bet:

Expect a lot of money to come in this week on the Bills, moving that spread more and more as we get closer to Sunday. If the spread ends up at 10 points by Sunday, take Washington with the points.

New Orleans Saints (1-1) vs. New England Patriots (1-1)

Spread: NE (-3)

Money Line: NO (+135); NE (-155)

Over/Under: 42 Points

A few years ago, this would have been one of the marquee matchups of the week with Tom Brady and Drew Brees squaring off. Unfortunately Jameis Winston vs. Mac Jones is not quite as sexy of a matchup.

Winston has not been asked to air it out for the Saints up to this point this season, as he only has 259 passing yards in the first two weeks on 42 attempts. Week 1, he threw five touchdown passes, but last week was not as promising, with his two interceptions and no touchdowns in a loss against the Panthers.

Mac Jones on the other hand has been pretty impressive early on, completing 73.9% of his passes through two weeks, without throwing an interception. This will be his first test playing against a team outside of the AFC East.

The Patriots may be caught looking ahead here, with Tom Brady set to return next week. Still, this one is really a toss-up but I’ll pick the upset with the Saints winning straight-up.

Best Bet:

I’d personally stay away from this game, but if you have to bet on the something, take the Saints with the points. This way if they lose on a last-second field goal, at least you push.

Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)

Spread: KC (-6 1/2)

Money Line: LAC (+250); KC (-300)

Over/Under: 54 1/2 Points

Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes going head-to-head in a matchup of gunslingers. Grab some popcorn and enjoy one hell of a show, as these teams should light up the scoreboard on Sunday.

Best Bet:

Instead of betting Kansas City to cover the spread, I would take the over and the Chiefs money line in a parlay. This way, if Herbert keeps pace with Mahomes you don’t have to worry about covering a touchdown spread.

Atlanta Falcons (0-2) vs. New York Giants (0-2)

Spread: NYG (-3)

Money Line: ATL (+130); NYG (-150)

Over/Under: 47 1/2 Points

This is pretty much the exact opposite of the Chargers vs. Chiefs matchup, as neither team has an offense you trust to put points on the board.

The Falcons have been embarrassed two weeks in a row, getting blown out by the Eagles and then the Buccaneers. No team in the NFL has allowed more points than the Falcons, which is really unfortunate when you consider the fact that they are 30th in points scored as well.

New York at least put up a fight last week against the Washington Football Team, although they suffered a brutal collapse in the fourth quarter. The Falcons are one of the few teams in the NFL that the Giants would be favored over right now.

Best Bet:

Another game I would stay away from, but the Giants should be able to cover the spread playing at home.

Chicago Bears (1-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Spread: CLE (-7)

Money Line: CHI (+265); CLE (-315)

Over/Under: 45 1/2 Points

Thanks to Andy Dalton’s knee injury, Justin Fields is set to make the first start of his NFL career on Sunday.

The No. 11 pick in this year’s draft, Fields had a strong preseason and is supposed to be the franchise quarterback for the Bears. He will surely be looking to take advantage of this opportunity to grab hold of the starting job for good.

Unfortunately with a bad offensive line, Fields is likely to see a lot of Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney in the backfield. It is hard to imagine him overcoming that pass rush and upsetting the Browns on the road.

But if he does, Chicago will feel pretty great about their future with Fields.

Best Bet:

The Browns should win, but will they take the contest by more than a touchdown?

This could be a good game to bet the Browns on the money line as part of a parlay with another favorite like Baltimore over Detroit.

Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

Spread: PIT (-3)

Money Line: CIN (+150); PIT (-170)

Over/Under: 43 1/2 Points

If there is one upset to bank on this weekend, it might just be for Joe Burrow to lead the Bengals to a road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Burrow nearly had the Bengals 2-0 on the season last week, but three interceptions against a tough Bears defense ultimately proved to be too much to overcome. Still, Burrow will get a chance to prove himself against a division rival for the first time this season and he should relish that opportunity.

For the Steelers, there is a big question mark surrounding the status of Ben Roethlisberger, who is dealing with a left pectoral injury.

Big Ben sustained the injury early on in the game last week, which could explain why the Steelers only mustered 17 points against the Raiders.

Best Bet:

Take the Bengals to win this one straight-up on the money line.

Miami Dolphins (1-1) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)

Spread: LV (-4)

Over/Under: 45 Points

The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to a fast start this season, winning each of their first two games. They will now look to remain undefeated as they return home to face the Miami Dolphins.

Miami is reeling of a 35-0 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. Along with losing the game, the Dolphins lost their starting quarterback as Tua Tagovailoa had to exit with fractured ribs. Tua will be out once again this Sunday, giving Jacoby Brissett his first chance to start for the Dolphins.

Brissett will have to play behind the same shaky offensive line that allowed Tua to get his ribs fractured in the first place, so it would be quite the upset for him to lead the Dolphins to a win on the road.

Best Bet:

The Las Vegas Raiders should be able to cover the spread and beat the Dolphins by more than a field goal.

New York Jets (0-2) vs. Denver Broncos (2-0)

Spread: DEN (-10 1/2)

Money Line: NYJ (+460); DEN (-600)

Over/Under: 42 Points

It is pretty remarkable to think the Denver Broncos could be undefeated through three weeks of the NFL season, but that should be the case considering who they play this week.

The New York Jets once again appear to be awful. So bad that the oddsmakers have them losing by more than 10 points against the Broncos.

While Denver is 2-0, their record is more a product of their schedule than anything else, having played the Giants and the Jaguars so far this season. And still, this could be their easiest matchup yet.

Best Bet:

Even though it’s the Jets, that is a pretty big spread to bet on when the team you’d be taking is the Broncos. Just stay away from this one. That way you don’t have to watch this game unless it pops up on the Red Zone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)

Spread: TB (-1)

Money Line: TB (-125); LAR (+105)

Over/Under: 55 Points

If there was supposed to be a Super Bowl hangover, you wouldn’t know it after watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through two weeks this season.

After a narrow victory in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Brady’s offense was firing on all cylinders last week, piling 48 points on the Atlanta Falcons. The ageless wonder is currently leading the NFL with nine touchdown passes and will be looking to add more this weekend.

One thing standing in Brady’s way though is the best interior pass rusher in the NFL, Aaron Donald.

Donald is sure to make life very difficult for Brady on Sunday. Meanwhile Matthew Stafford certainly appears to be an upgrade compared to Jared Goff for the Rams, as he has gotten off to a fast start in his first season in Los Angeles.

With a one-point spread, the oddsmakers are essentially making this a pick’em game.

Best Bet:

While it’s never fun to bet against Tom Brady, this may be the week to do just that. Who needs the extra point with this spread? Take the Rams to win on the money line.

Seattle Seahawks (1-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)

Spread: SEA (-2)

Money Line: SEA (-120); MIN (+100)

Over/Under: 55 Points

If the Minnesota Vikings fall to 0-3 this week, they might just dig too big of a hole for themselves when it comes to their playoff hopes.

Expect some desperation coming from that sideline this Sunday, especially considering the tough losses they have already sustained this year. Through two games, the Vikings point differential on the season is -4.

Meanwhile the Seattle Seahawks are coming off a brutal loss in their home opener to the Tennessee Titans. Seattle took a 24-9 lead into halftime, only to lose the game 33-30 in overtime. Russell Wilson will be looking to put that loss behind him this weekend.

One thing to take in mind with this matchup is that Wilson is 6-0 in his career going against the Vikings.

Best Bet:

Setting the over/under at 55 is supposed to scare bettors away, but I would still take the over in this game.

Green Bay Packers (1-1) vs. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

Spread: SF (-3 1/2)

Money Line: GB (+150); SF (-170)

Over/Under: 49 1/2 Points

The Green Bay Packers went from having absolutely no offense in their season opener, to hanging 35 points on the Lions on Monday Night Football last week.

The reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers looked much more like himself in that game, completing 22 of his 27 passes for 255 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Aaron Jones also had a monster game, scoring four touchdowns himself, catching three from Rodgers.

Green Bay will look to keep that offense rolling against a very good defense over in San Francisco.

Meanwhile the Niners are still looking to rediscover the success they had two seasons ago, when they ran away with the NFC. They are off to a good 2-0 start, but have only won those games by a combined 14 points.

This should be a great game for Sunday Night Football, where either team could pull out the victory late.

Best Bet:

The San Francisco 49ers just might win this game, but there is a good chance they only win by a field goal. If the spread holds at 3 1/2, take the Packers with the points.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) vs. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Spread: DAL (-4)

Money Line: PHI (+161); DAL (-181)

Over/Under: 52 Points

Another prime time game for two teams coming out of the NFC ‘(L)East.

The Philadelphia Eagles looked great in Week 1, beating the Atlanta Falcons by 26 points. Then they faced a reality check Week 2, as Jalen Hurts’ offense only mustered 11 points against the San Francisco 49ers.

For the Dallas Cowboys, the best news from the first two weeks of the season is Dak Prescott looks like himself after the gruesome ankle injury he suffered last year.

Prescott is currently among the league leaders with his 640 passing yards. Playing against a sub-par Eagles defense, Prescott will look to add to those stats on Monday.

Best Bet:

I would expect Dallas to come away with the victory, but winning by more than a field goal could be asking for too much against a division rival. Take the Cowboys, but on the money line.

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