Taking a look at Week 3, if you thought the previous week’s Thursday night schedule was awful, wait until you get a load of the New York Jets at the Cleveland Browns. And the Browns are favored with the opening line, if you can believe it.
The rest of the prime time schedule doesn’t get a lot better. Sunday Night sees the New England Patriots travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. Needless to say, the Pats are a four-point favorite there. Monday night might have been a decent game before Jameis Winston was sent to his couch by Roger Goodell. Now it’s up to Ryan Fitzpatrick to take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Needless to say, they’re a four-point dog.
The best games are your regular Sunday fare. The New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons set the stage early as the week 3 marquee 1 p.m. game. While it doesn’t look like it’s slated for “America’s Game of the Week” honors, the Battle of Los Angeles will be a solid way to work off your Sunday dinner. The Falcons opened at -3 over the Saints and the Rams began at -3.5 over the Chargers.
NFL Week 3 Betting Odds
Thursday Night Football Odds (Sept 20)
New York Jets at Cleveland Browns
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NFL Network
Opening Line: Browns -3, 39.5
I don’t think anything can really prepare you to see the Browns favored in a point spread, even one originally posted back in May. Yet, here we are and, honestly, it’s hard to argue with the books on this one. Of the two rosters, top to bottom, the Browns may have a slight advantage, especially at the skill positions. I wrote this offseason that for the first time since 2013,Cleveland will field an actual roster of NFL talent and I’m not the only person that noticed.
If Sam Darnold were facing off against Baker Mayfield in this one, the excitement level changes completely. I like both those picks for these teams and they were Nos. 1 and 2 on my pre-draft analysis and went exactly the way they should have in the draft. Instead, we’ll likely see another classic Josh McCown vs Tyrod Taylor quarterback battle like we’ve all talked about in hushed tones this offseason.
This game is a huge one for Cleveland and especially Hue Jackson. We all want to talk about the Browns coming off an 0-16 season, just the second winless campaign in the post free agency era, but the Browns are worse than that. They are 4-44 over the last three seasons. Whatever season Cleveland expects to have in 2018, losing this one would ruin it before they even get a month in.
Sunday, Sept. 23 Early Games
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Falcons -3, 53
It’s a Week 3 game that could have postseason implications already. Both these teams made the playoffs last year after splitting their regular season games. New Orleans would claim the NFC South title. The Falcons would settle for the final NFC Wild Card spot.
Atlanta is home and worth the three points. I don’t see this line moving much before Week 3 kicks off. Even if both these teams look mortal in the first two weeks of the season, no one is going to be fooled that these offenses won’t be ready to explode at some point. Of their last six games, three have seen 52 or more points scored. Take a good look at the point total here.
San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Chiefs -6, 55
Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Dolphins -3.5, 43.5
Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Vikings -16.5, 40.5
Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Eagles -6, 47.5
Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Packers -3, 47.5
Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Panthers -3, 44.5
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Jaguars -6.5, 49.5
Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Ravens -5.5, 43
New York Giants at Houston Texans
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Texans -3.5
Sunday, Sept. 23 Late Games
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Rams -37, 48.5
Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Cardinals -4.5
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Seahawks -3, 44.5
Sunday Night Football Odds (Sept. 23)
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NBC
Opening Line: Patriots -6.5, 51.5
You know who usually has success against a Bill Belichick-coached team the first time they face him? His former coaches. The high point of Josh McDaniels’ coaching tenure with the Denver Broncos was his first game against the Patriots, Denver won 20-17 in overtime in 2009.
Back in 2010, it was the Mangenius himself, former Patriots assistant Eric Mangini (who would eventually get them busted for SpyGate) who led the Cleveland Browns, of all teams, to a 34-14 beat down over New England. Can Matt Patricia pull off a similar feat?
He has the quarterback in Matthew Stafford and offense that can make it interesting. It helps that the game is in Detroit. And here’s something to factor in, the Patriots play the Jaguars the week before and if that’s a hard-hitting, thumping type game against that defense, they could still be punchy a week later and ripe for the picking.
Monday Night Football Odds (Sept 24)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. EST
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Line: Steelers -2.5, 52
The Dirk Koetter farewell tour makes a home appearance on Monday Night Football. Pittsburgh has opened as a four-point favorite, but two weeks into the season and a likely 0-2 start from Tampa Bay could easily see this one go to -6.5 so jump in early if you like the four points.
Needless to say, these are not two teams that have faced each other a lot since the Bucs entered the league in 1976. They’ve played 10 times with Pittsburgh holding a commanding 8-2 advantage in the all-time series. Tampa Bay did win the last match up back in 2014, 27-24, with Mike Glennon getting the win at QB with a 302-yard, two touchdown and one interception passing day. Not only that, it was a come-from-behind victory as the Buccaneers entered the fourth quarter down 24-17.