Check the Latest NFL Week 3 Predictions by Our Expert Team
It’s not an easy job to make your NFL Week 3 picks this season. The good news is that How To Bet’s expert team is here to help you find your way. We know that at the beginning of the campaign the trajectory of teams and players is difficult to assess because top form still isn’t being hit. Our experts have their NFL Week 3 predictions ready though and, as always, the chances are that they are going to hit high success rates for a third week running. That’s why you should follow them closely, check their NFL Picks below and benefit from them again and again.
You will also see the betting odds and lines for this week’s fixtures and you will find the best NFL bets Week 3 can offer. Match them with our expert picks and you will have your winning bets ready.
NFL Week 3 Picks: Predictions in Detail
Monday Night Football: Eagles @ Cowboys – NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks
The Monday Night Week 3 showdown features two NFC East rivals who by the early looks should decide the division title between them. The Eagles beat the Falcons 32-6 in Week 1 before losing 17-11 at home to the Niners in a defensive slugfest. The Cowboys lost to the Buccaneers on a last-minute FG in Week 1 before beating the Chargers on a last-second 56-yard FG. In other words: It’s been two drama-filled weeks for America’s team.
As were the last few days. The DL got extremely depleted with Carlos Watkins, Dorance Armstrong and reserve Bradlee Anae all ruled out. Former draft bust Randy Gregory is expected to return and rookie Chauncey Golston looks like getting a more prominent role. WR Amari Cooper is expected to return for the Cowboys as well.
For the Eagles, LT Jordan Mailata is reportedly out with a knee sprain. 2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard should start against the Cowboys and this should concern very much the Eagles’ fans.
Head coach Nick Sirianni called a very strange game against the Niners with basically no intermediate routes. He publicly took the blame for the loss so this MNF is a chance for redemption.
This one is among the toughest NFL picks Week 3. Both Cowboys’ games were a one-possession as was Eagles’ last week. Things should go the same way but with a depleted DL and a secondary ranked 21st against the pass, the hosts are vulnerable. After the Packers-Lions dud, this might be a dandy.
Our Expert NFL Pick for This Game: Over 51.5 (-105)
Sunday Night Football: Packers @ 49ers – NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks
The Niners didn’t disappoint so far and I’ll stick to them in the NFL Week 3 predictions. This will be yet another test for the Niners’ plug-and-play RB system. Raheem Mostert started Week 1 against the Lions and lost for the season. Elijah Mitchell got the start last Sunday against the Eagles but hurt a shoulder and is questionable. With JaMycal Hasty ruled out with a high ankle sprain it may be up to the third-round pick Trey Sermon to carry the load on Sunday night. So, the Niners are doomed, right? Well, not so fast…
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s father Mike was a wizard in turning nobodies into 1000-yard rushers back in his days in Denver. The younger Shanahan’s learned the trade from his father in Washington so “The next man up” show will continue in SF. And the advanced metrics agree, putting the Niners at #8 on offense.
The Packers are playing on a short week after sleepwalking the first half against the Lions before scoring 21 unanswered points after the break. G Elgton Jenkins (ankle) is doubtful and with RT David Bakhtiari on the PUP list, 40% of the OL of the middling offense (ranked just inside the Top 20 in DVOA) will have to be replaced.
This will be the first game in Santa Clara with fans since January 2020. Back then the Niners stomped the Packers 37-20 to win the NFC title and advance to Super Bowl LIV. It will be an electric evening and this is one of the best NFL bets Week 3.
NFL Week 3 Prediction: Niners Money Line (-167)
Dolphins @ Raiders – NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks
Alongside Panthers the 2-0 Raiders look like the most underappreciated team in the NFL. Despite beating the Ravens and the Steelers LV gets no love. Another win this week and it is hard to keep them from the spotlight.
The Dolphins were shut out at home by the Bills last week (0-35) and lost QB Tua Tagovailoa to a rib injury. The X-Rays showed multiple cracks so the Alabama product will be out for the foreseeable future. Jacoby Brissett was unspectacular in relief against the Bills (24-of-40 for 169 yards and an INT) and the offense DVOA plunged to -39%, putting the Dolphins 30th in the league.
Despite Tua’s absence, the line for this game started at -1.5 before jumping to -3.5. Still, this is a very low spread given the ineptitude of Dolphins’ offense gaining just 237.5 yards per game. Many experts rate this game among the best NFL Week 3 picks against the spread but I prefer to be cautious.
NFL Week 3 Prediction: Raiders Money Line (-182)
Chargers @ Chiefs – NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks
Among the most popular NFL Week 3 picks this is a matchup between the only teams in the AFC West without a zero in the loss column. Chiefs are probably the most polarizing team in the NFL with advanced metrics putting them second on offense but second from bottom on defense. And the latter is far from surprising as the unit has given up whooping 469 yards per game!
The Chargers lost last week at home to the Cowboys on a last-second 56-yard FG to drop to 1-1 after missing numerous opportunities and getting just 14 points from five red-zone visits. Bolts didn’t punt the entire game but the lack of execution was glaring.
Both teams’ defenses are decimated. CB Chris Harris is out for the Chargers with a shoulder injury. DT Justin Jones (calf) is doubtful and star LB Joey Bosa is questionable with foot and ankle ailments. Chiefs should be without DE Frank Clark (hamstring) while DE Chris Jones (wrist) and CB Charvarius Ward (quadriceps) are both questionable.
Chiefs’ offense is high-octane but their defense keeps both teams in the game. This one has all the makings of a shootout.
There’s an unwritten rule that says “Never bet on a sub-.500 team to cover the spread”. Giants are 0-2 but in reality, they should’ve been 1-1 if not for the mental mistake in the last second of regulation against WFT that led to an offside, re-kick, and ultimately their second straight defeat. However, the metrics are kind to the Giants, putting them 12th on offense despite them still being winless.
The Falcons were as bad as expected against the Buccaneers. QB Matt Ryan threw three INTs while the defense gave up almost 6 yards per play in the 48-25 loss. Falcons were so terrible they almost allowed the opponents to cover the 52 points total by themselves!
TE Evan Engram should make his first appearance of the season for the Giants who will be without LB Cam Brown (hamstring). Falcons are short on WRs with Frank Darby (calf) and Russell Gage (ankle) declared out. CB A. J. Terrell will also miss the game after a concussion.
It’s OK to abide by the already mentioned but betting the money line is good advice for the NFL Week 3 picks straight up.
NFL Week 3 Prediction: Giants Money Line (-147)
Thursday Night Football: Panthers @ Texans - NFL Week 3 Predictions and Picks
Texans and Panthers open Week 3 of the NFL season. The visitors are one of just seven teams that started 2-0. Not to take anything away from the accomplishments of head coach Matt Rhule (whom I admire for his quick turnaround at Baylor) but the success of his team is a product of the soft schedule and they still must prove themselves as real contenders. Panthers beat winless Jets 19-14 and took advantage of Saints’ shortage of offensive assistants to win 26-7. Do not get me wrong: Panthers are playing fundamental football. They are winning by running the ball and being strong on defense. It’s not their fault that the opponents have their own shortcomings and by all looks the trend will continue on Thursday.
Texans sit atop the AFC South at 1-1 but it won’t last long. They beat the Jaguars to prolong their losing streak and were leading away to the Browns when the inevitable disaster happened. The luckless QB Tyrod Taylor went down with a hamstring strain and so did the hopes for an upset.
Taylor will be out for at least a month so rookie Davis Mills will make his first career start. The Stanford product finished 8-of-18 for 102 yards, a TD and an INT for a QB rating of 58.1. Not great and given the fact he faces a short week to prepare for one of the best defensive lines in the league do not expect his stats to be much better.
Apart from Taylor, WR Nico Collins has also been ruled out with a shoulder injury. CB Terrance Mitchell is in concussion protocol and WR Danny Amendola has a thigh injury. Both of them are pretty much out for Thursday. Panthers G Pat Elflein was put on IR and will be out at least three weeks. DE Yetur Gross-Matos did not participate in practice while DE Morgan Fox was in a red non-contact jersey. Their status is unknown.
The advanced metrics put Panthers top of the league through Week 2. They are ranked #1 on defense and #15 on offense. Texans are exactly middle of the road (#16 on offense, #15 on defense) so calling them “mediocre” seems appropriate. And while this early in the season metrics tend to deviate Panthers’ win is obviously one of the best NFL bets Week 3
The Lookahead Spread was Carolina -3 but after Taylor’s injury the line jumped to -7.5. This is the Panthers’ first game away from home this season so I’ll abstain from betting on the spread. As Carolina hit the under already twice and did it convincingly I recommend backing it once again as one of the hidden gems among NFL Week 3 Picks.
Our Expert NFL Pick for This Game: Under 43.5 (-106)
NFL Week 3 Picks in Brief
WFT @ Bills (-7.5): Giants left a couple of TDs on the field but Josh Allen is no Daniel Jones.
Bears @ Browns over 44.5: OBJ is back for the Browns and QB Justin Fields starts for the visitors. Get ready for fireworks.
Ravens @ Lions (+8): A COVID outbreak decimated Ravens LB corps. Maybe this is the Sunday the Lions will finally play a full 60 minutes?
Cardinals @ Jaguars (+7.5): Cardinals ran out of offensive linemen and will have to suit somebody from the street just to fill the roster. Still, Jaguars have lost 17 in a row dating back to last year.
Saints @ Patriots (ML): Saints are still short of offensive assistants which proved fatal against the Panthers.
Bengals @ Steelers (-3): Steelers have won 10 of the last 11 and Big Ben should be good to go.
Colts @ Titans (-5.5): Carson Wentz made a miraculous recovery from two sprained ankles but who can stop Derrick Henry?
Jets (+10.5) @ Broncos: This is the worst in terms of DVOA defense QB Zach Wilson will face this month. The Broncos are only 10th…
Buccaneers @ Rams (ML): WR Antonio Brown is on COVID list while DE Aaron Donald plans on cooking a Brady burger.
Seahawks (ML) @ Vikings: Hawks could not stop Derrick Henry but Dalvin Cook is questionable.
NFL Week 3 Odds
NFL Expert Picks Week 3: What Are They?
NFL Expert Picks Week 3 are betting picks by trusted individuals who have a particularly high level of NFL knowledge and experience. You should have guessed by now that these picks are made for the third week of the league season. With their help, you will discover how to bet on some of the games that give you the highest winning chance for a wager.
Many bettors still stick to making their own NFL Week 3 predictions but more and more people are, before putting their bets, turning to expert picks. They are considered the art form of NFL betting. Plenty of reasons exist for even the most seasoned of bettors to look at NFL Week 3 Picks provided by specialists. Here are the main factors:
They save you precious time – Getting to the point where you come up with justified NFL Week 3 predictions takes really long hours. With our NFL expert picks you gain so much time to invest in leisure activities instead of drowning in stats and analysis.
They are counting on access to hardly accessible sources – How To Bet’s NFL Week 3 Picks are based on information sources, such as advanced statistical data, which are not accessible to everyone and are pretty expensive as well.
They are based on highly sophisticated betting models – The team behind How To Bet’s NFL Expert Picks Week 3 use their own betting models and algorithms. These have been developed by them over many years, more than a decade even. As a result, you can be sure that here you’ll discover the best NFL bets Week 3 can offer.
They follow the latest news reports 24/7 for a swift reaction – In order to be able to react and change their picks accordingly, our experts constantly follow thelatest league and team news from all types of high authority sources. Because of that, they can take into account all the important team news when making their NFL Week 3 predictions. And you don’t have to stay glued to the news outlets all the time.
They are completely unbiased – How To Bet’s NFL Week 3 Picks are provided by individuals who all have a hunch for the game but always look to support it with statistical and empirical evidence. Our experts don’t pick on the basis of emotion or team loyalty but on fully rational conclusions.
NFL Week 3 Picks & Predictions: The Main Betting Types
Whether you use expert picks or your own, when you come to bet on the chosen NFL Week 3 predictions, you will find a good variety of betting markets. Three that are always the most popular among football betting fans are:
Moneyline
Point Spread
Over/Under
Because these three markets are so popular, you will find them at every online sportsbook worth their salt. Let's take a quick look at each one in turn so that you know how they work when you come to explore the best NFL bets Week 3 can offer.
NFL Week 3 Picks Straight Up
The straight up or moneyline betting market is one of the simplest to understand. It offers odds about both of the teams involved in a particular game in the NFL and your job is just to bet on the team that you think will win. If your team wins as expected, your bet will also win and it will be settled at the odds you took. So when you’re seeing our NFL Week 3 picks straight up, you should easily bet on them. Consider the following example:
Team
Odds
Carolina
-225
Houston
+185
NFL Week 3 Picks Straight Up Example
So if in your NFL Week 3 predictions straight up you fancy Carolina to win the NFL game against Houston, you could bet on them at odds of -225. A stake of $225 would therefore give you a profit of $100 if they succeed. On the other hand, if you bet $100 on Houston and they win the game, your profit would be $185. This is as straightforward an example of NFL Week 3 picks straight up as you would find.
NFL Week 3 Picks against the Spread
NFL Week 3 Picks Against the Spread
You will have seen from the NFL moneyline example given a moment ago that the odds for the two teams in a game can be quite different. In an effort to even up those odds, sportsbooks offer point spread markets that impose an artificial handicap on the favorite team. This gives the underdog team an equal and opposing advantage, and so the odds available tend to be much more balanced. Because of that, the NFL Week 3 spread picks are in such demand. Again, let's look at an example:
Team
Spread
Odds
Philadelphia
-3.5
-110
Dallas
+3.5
-110
NFL Week 3 Picks Against the Spread Example
In this example for NFL Week 3 picks against the spread, you'll see that Philadelphia has been given a handicap of -3.5 points, while Dallas has an advantage of +3.5 points. Bet on Philadelphia and they will need to win by 4 points or more for your bet to succeed. Bet on Dallas and that bet will only lose if the team loses by 4 points or more. With these conditions in place, the sportsbook is able to offer the same odds of -110 about both teams.
When you are using expert predictions, you will surely be given NFL Week 3 picks against the spread. Simply bet on the named team in the point spread market and if the expert pick is correct, your bet will win.
NFL Week 3 Picks for Over/Under
The third main betting market for NFL Week 3 picks is the over/under betting. Here you don't need to worry about which team you think will win the game. Instead, you only have to predict whether the total number of points scored in the game (by both teams combined) will be Over or Under a total figure quoted by the sportsbook. Incidentally, that's why this is also known as the Totals market. Here's an example to help explain the concept further:
Sportsbook Total
Odds
Over 42.5
-110
Under 42.5
-110
NFL Week 3 Picks for Over/Under
Betting over/under is just as simple as moneyline betting, especially if you have NFL expert picks Week 3 to help guide you. All you have to do in this case is decide whether you think there will be over or under 42.5 points scored in the game as a whole. Bet Over and there would need to be 43 points or more scored for your bet to succeed. Bet Under and there would need to be 42 points or fewer scored for your bet to win. Check out our NFL Week 3 predictions to find the best over/under bets available and put a wager.
NFL Picks & Predictions Week by Week Index
Check out the success rate of the NFL predictions provided by our experts and see what lies ahead in the future.
NFL Week 3 Picks FAQ
Where can I find NFL expert picks Week 3?
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There are many places where you can find NFL expert picks Week 3, but not all experts are equal, and most will charge you money to receive their picks. The NFL Week 3 picks here at How To Bet are provided by some of the best specialists we've found and, furthermore, completely free of charge.
Will NFL Week 3 picks provided by experts win?
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Our NFL Week 3 picks are expert predictions based on solid data and analysis, but they are still only predictions. There is no guarantee that NFL picks from any source will win, and form upsets can occur at any point during the season. So always obey the golden rule of betting and never bet more than you can afford to lose in a worst-case scenario.
Which market should we choose for having the best NFL bets Week 3?
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All three of the betting markets discussed have their pros and cons, so which one you choose for the best NFL bets Week 3 will depend on your own preferences. If you simply want to bet on the winning team, the moneyline is the best choice. The point spread market is good for those who also want to bet on how close the game will be. Our NFL Week 3 picks against the spread will be a huge help for you so don’t hesitate to use them in your favour. And the over/under market is ideal for those who don't want to bet on a specific winner. Of course, you can also bet in two or all three of those markets if you'd prefer to do that.
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