Must-Bet & Avoid Games: NFL Week 3 Odds and Analysis

Must-Bet & Avoid Games: NFL Week 3 Odds and Analysis

Written by on September 16, 2024

Stay up to date for the NFL Week 3 Odds! Week 2 of the 2024 NFL regular season brought some real surprises – some bringing good news, and others bringing hard news.

The Miami Dolphins got some tough news when Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion of his pro career, just the anticlimax of a hard night against the Buffalo Bills.

The Arizona Cardinals got some better news as quarterback Kyler Murray posted the first perfect passer rating (158.3) in his six-season career when he threw for 266 yards and three scores in a shocking rout of the L.A. Rams.

Also, did you have the New Orleans Saints as your top-scoring team after two weeks? It wasn’t so surprising when they dropped 47 points on Carolina in the opener, but going to Dallas and hanging 44 on an allegedly elite defense caused some jaws to drop.

Let’s look ahead to Week 3 with some sports betting recommendations on games to pick – and games to stay away from.

NFL Week 3 Odds: Games You Should Bet and Avoid

 

Avoid: New England Patriots (+6.5) at N.Y. Jets

When: Thursday Night Football, September 19, 8:15 pm ET, Prime Video

The Patriots went to Cincinnati and rode their grinding defense and running game to a surprising win over the Bengals.

They came home and lost an equally head-scratching game against Seattle in Week 2.

Now they go take on a Jets team that had to work way too hard to beat Tennessee on the road in Week 2.

Aaron Rodgers is still working his way back into full game speed as the Jets’ quarterback, but coming home on a short week doesn’t give much time for game planning.

I think the Jets win this at home, but I’m not sure if the learning curve takes off (leading to a rout) or if it’s a grinding struggle, so I’m staying away here.

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Bet: N.Y. Giants (+6.5) at Cleveland Browns

When: Sunday, September 22, 1:00 pm ET, CBS

The Cleveland Browns bounced back from an ugly home loss to Dallas in Week 1 by taking down a dangerous Jacksonville team down in Florida.

The Giants got shut down in Minnesota in Week 1 but pushed Washington hard in Week 2, losing on the road by three.

The Browns have the defense to corral the Giants at home, and their pass rush should be able to force Daniel Jones into multiple turnovers.

Deshaun Watson’s numbers were better in Week 2 for the Browns, and while they still won’t have Nick Chubb on the field, they should be able to move the ball enough to make this a fairly easy win.

NFL Pick: Browns to win and cover.

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Avoid: Baltimore Ravens (-1) at Dallas Cowboys

When: Sunday, September 22, 4:25 pm ET, FOX

It’s a little early in the season for the Baltimore Ravens to start collapsing in the late moments of games, but here we are.

The Ravens had a ten-point lead at home, but then the Raiders mounted three scoring drives in a row to take the road win.

Now the Ravens are 0-2, a far cry from the dominant season they put together a year ago, when they took the top seed in the AFC playoffs and made it to the AFC Championship.

They head to Dallas to face the Cowboys, who gave up 35 points in the first half to New Orleans in Week 2, their highest point total allowed in a first half in 20 seasons.

The Cowboys’ offense had a hard time finishing drives, settling for field goals while the Saints scored touchdowns, and the rout was on.

Two inconsistent teams that have visions of contending will square off, but it’s hard to tell which side will figure things out and win this one.

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Bet: Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5) at New Orleans Saints

When: 1:00 pm ET, FOX

Listing the Eagles as road favorites is a bold choice for the sports betting community, particularly after the undressing the Saints gave the Cowboys up in Dallas in Week 2.

The Eagles did beat Green Bay down in Brazil in Week 1, but they needed a late comeback as their defense permitted 29 points.

They host Atlanta on Monday night in Week 2, and it will be interesting to see if their defense has improved any.

If they give up more than 20 points to Atlanta, then the Saints could have another big scoring night.

Either way, the Saints’ defense is physical and fast enough to keep the Eagles within striking distance.

NFL Pick: Saints to cover.

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Must-Bet & Avoid Games: NFL Week 2 – 2024
 

Stay tuned for the NFL Week 2 Odds! Week 1 brought some sports betting surprises in the NFL, as it usually does.

The Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t get out of their own way, making too many mistakes to avoid a disappointing home loss at the hands of New England.

The Cleveland Browns may have to prepare to acknowledge that Deshaun Watson is the most expensive disappointment in NFL history after his poor showing against Dallas in a home loss.

The Green Bay Packers may have lost quarterback Jordan Love on the second-to-last play of their loss to Philadelphia down in Brazil.

What games should you look at for Week 2 – and which games should you avoid? Read on to get our thoughts.

NFL Week 2 Odds: Games You Should Bet and Avoid

 

Avoid: Buffalo Bills (+2.5) at Miami Dolphins

When: Thursday, September 12, 8:15 PM, Prime Video

Buffalo has issues to work out on both sides of the ball – and special teams.

They almost lost their home opener to an Arizona team that is well behind them on the talent spectrum, as their defense couldn’t stop Kyler Murray until the second half, and then their special teams gave up a kickoff return for a late touchdown that made the game way too interesting.

Miami was down by double digits at the half against Jacksonville in Week 1 before roaring back to win with a late field goal.

The Bills were just 3-5 against the spread on the road last year and 3-3 ATS in AFC East matchups. Both of these teams look inconsistent so far, so don’t put your money at risk here.

 

Bet: San Francisco (-5) at Minnesota Vikings

When: Sunday, September 15, 1:00 PM, CBS

Sam Darnold looked as sharp as he ever has in an NFL uniform on Sunday, leading the Vikings to a blowout win over the New York Giants.

That’s one reason why the line in this game has already dropped a point and a half from the open.

In 2023, the Vikings were just 2-6 against the spread, while the 49ers were 9-3 against the spread on the road.

At this writing, we still haven’t seen San Francisco’s opener against the New York Jets, but even though the Giants have a decent defense, it’s not like the 49ers’ unit, and the 49ers have an NFL-caliber offense.

The Giants should have all the information they need to send sixth-year quarterback Daniel Jones to the bench.

NFL Pick: 49ers to win and cover.

 

Avoid: Cleveland Browns (+3) at Jacksonville Jaguars

When: Sunday, September 15, 1:00 PM, CBS

Deshaun Watson only completed 53% of his passes on Sunday against the Cowboys and had a pair of interceptions.

He did have a touchdown pass to complete the only impressive scoring drive that the Browns mustered, right after KeVontae Turpin took a Cleveland punt all the way to the house.

Last year, the Browns weren’t a strong road team, going 2-6-1 ATS away from Northeast Ohio.

However, Jacksonville didn’t look that great either in Week 1, building a double-digit lead on the Miami Dolphins on the road before coughing the game up in the second half.

Since we don’t know enough about these teams yet, I would hold onto my money here.

 

Bet: L.A. Chargers (-6.5) at Carolina Panthers

When: Sunday, September 15, 4:05 PM, FOX

Yes, the Chargers rolled over the Las Vegas Raiders, but a West Coast team heading east on the road is usually cause for some caution.

In this case, though, the Carolina Panthers took a 47-10 whipping from a New Orleans Saints team that has a lot of its own flaws.

The Panthers were just 1-7-1 ATS at home last year, so it would be wise to back the Chargers before this line grows larger than a touchdown.

NFL Pick: Chargers to win and cover.

 
 
 
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