With a wild Week 2 in the books, the focus now shifts to Week 3, where there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding a number of surprise teams. Are the Jacksonville Jaguars legitimate contenders in the AFC following a 2-0 start? Are the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers both destined to remain winless through the first three weeks of the season? We took the time to break down the most favorable lines for this upcoming Sunday to deliver the perfect teaser bet. Here is a look at the best teaser pick for Week 3 of the NFL season.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Current Odds: Jacksonville -6.5
Jacksonville is coming off back-to-back wins to open the season, including a statement, 31-20, victory over the New England Patriots last week. Now they are set to host a Titans squad that squeezed past the Houston Texans, 20-17, last week to salvage a 1-1 start to the season. Tennessee won both meetings between these teams a year ago but one of those games was very early in the season and the other was in Week 17 when the Jaguars had nothing left to play for. There is a small chance Jacksonville suffers a small letdown following a statement win over New England but even still, they are talented enough to beat the banged-up Titans at home. Marcus Mariota is still day-to-day and the Titans haven’t been good even when he was in the lineup.
The Jaguars are 5-0 straight up in their last six home games dating back to last season. That trend should continue with Jacksonville needing only another straight up win to cover once the seven-point tease is applied to their line for this Sunday.
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
Current Odds: LA Rams -7
A seven-point tease will also mean the Rams need only a straight up win at home against an inferior opponent to cover on this ticket. The Rams are coming off back-to-back blowout wins over the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals. The Chargers are coming off a big win of their own over the Buffalo Bills but they won’t see any players on the opposing sideline retire this week. The Bills might be the worst team in the NFL while the Rams might be the best. Tease the Rams down in this spot.
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions
Current Odds: New England -6
Our third pick is also the third straight scenario in which we select a six-point favorite and tease them down, so all they need is a straight up win. In this case, it will be a determined Patriots side attempting to bounce back from a tough loss on the road to Jacksonville againstthe inferior Lions. The Matt Patricia era in Detroit hasn’t gone as expected so far with consecutive losses to the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. The Lions allowed an average of 39.0 points per game against Sam Darnold and Jimmy Garoppolo. That means Tom Brady should have no problem carving up this Detroit defense for an easy straight-up win.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current Odds: Pittsburgh -2
The final pick on this four-team teaser is the 2-0 Buccaneers, which are somehow a two-point underdog at home to the 0-1-1 Steelers. They’re just not getting much respect on the betting line. Ryan Fitzpatrick has shocked the football world with over 400 passing yards and four touchdowns in back-to-back wins over the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. What will he have in store for a Pittsburgh defense that just gave up 42 points in a home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs? Applying the seven-point tease makes Tampa Bay a nine-point underdog at home. Considering the Steelers haven’t inspired much confidence so far, this makes sense.
Pick: Jaguars +0.5 & Rams PK & Patriots +1 & Bucs +9
