by Remember back in Week 1 when I told you I’m bad at this? I hope so because last week was a disaster, as the picks went 1-2-1. Let’s start with the lone winner: Chargers -4.5 against the Panthers. Carolina is probably the worst team in the league and they got blown out by 23 at home. The season is only two weeks old and the Panthers are already being outscored 73-13.
Now, let’s get to the losers. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong about the Rams +1 against the Cardinals. Not only did Arizona cover, but they won by 31 as Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. started to gel. Harrison finished the game with four catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. If they can keep this up, the Cardinals’ offense is a real threat. The Jets and Titans hit the 41 total on a game-winning touchdown from Aaron Rodgers to Braelon Allen to force a push.
Now that we got all that out of the way, let’s dive into Week 3. As always, I’ll pick a favorite and an underdog against the spread along with an over and an under. Let’s get this train rolling. Here are my Week 3 NFL Best Bets.
Favorite
Carolina Panthers @ Las Vegas Raiders (-5.5) Sun. 4:05 pm CBS
It looks like the Bryce Young era may be coming to an end in Carolina as veteran Andy Dalton was named the starter for this week’s matchup. Don’t expect this move to solve any of the Panthers’ problems. The Panthers currently hold both the worst scoring offense and worst scoring defense in the NFL. The Raiders are riding high following their ten-point fourth quarter comeback win over the Ravens and Gardner Minshew comes into the week ranked third in the league in passing yards. Until proven otherwise, I’m going to take everybody and the points over the Panthers. This week that team is the Raiders.
Underdog
Green Bay Packers (+2.5) @ Tennessee Titans Sun. 1 pm FOX
I feel like the only reason Tennessee is favored here is because the game is in Nashville. If it were in Green Bay, the Packers would likely be favored. Will Levis continues to struggle and has three interceptions through the first two weeks. Last week against the Colts, the Green Bay defense picked off another young quarterback three times. Word is Jordan Love may be ready to go Sunday which would likely move the line towards the Packers. Even if it is Malik Willis getting the start, I still like the Packers on the road. They are currently +120 to win outright which could be the move.
Over
Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints O49.5 Sun. 1 pm FOX
The New Orleans Saints’ offense is COOKING right now, averaging 45.5 points per game including a 44-point performance against the Dallas Cowboys. In his last two starts against the Saints under Dennis Allen, 2020 and 2021, Jalen Hurts has rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns so I feel like the offense can put up points. The Eagles defense is nothing to turn your nose up at, but they did seem to run out of gas by the last game-winning drive against the Falcons. It’s a lot of points, but I tend to like overs in domes.
Under
Chicago Bears @ Indianapolis Colts U43.5 Sun. 1 pm CBS
Looking at this week’s slate, I was struggling to find an under that looked appealing. Thanks to my good friend Branden and Kee On Sports own Brandon Soeder, this one was a no-brainer. Both of these squads are struggling to find themselves with young quarterbacks. The Bears have a top ten defense through two games and the Colts are at the other end of the spectrum at 31st overall. Good offenses could take advantage of that weak defense, but the Bears do not have a good offense. So far, betting the under on Bears’ games has been 2-0 and I don’t see that changing this week.
Record: 3-4-1
There you have it, my best bets for Week 3 of the NFL season. Feel free to leave your comments on where I went wrong and, as always, bet responsibly. Enjoy another football filled weekend!
