NFL Week 3 Preview

Week 3 of the NFL season kicked off on Thursday night with the Panthers beating the Texans to get to 3-0. Sam Darnold looks like a different player playing with a good offensive line and coaching staff and is an early favorite for comeback player of the year.

It seems like we have a more balanced NFL than we have in a long time which is great for fans in cities who have had their teams miss the playoffs for years on end.

Let’s look ahead to week three at some of the top games, odds, and prop bets that stand out:

Top Week 3 matchups

Bucs (-1) vs. Rams

The Rams hope to become the second team in a row to host the Super Bowl

The game of the week is the Bucs vs. Rams out in LA as Tom Brady heads to Los Angeles to face a revamped Rams team that has looked solid so far this season. Matt Stafford had given the Rams an additional weapon with his arm strength and the Bucs are favored by 1 as they look to win their 11th in a row dating back to last season.

While it is difficult to bet against Tom Brady, the NFL is so tough and Tom Brady typically has a couple of off games per season and this seems like it could be one of them. The Rams pass rush led by Aaron Donald is one of the best in the league and should be able to apply pressure to take away the deep ball from the Bucs’ arsenal. I like the Rams to win a close game here and get the early edge in the NFC standings.

Pick: Bucs to win

Eagles vs. Cowboys (-3.5)

The Eagles and Cowboys square off at Jerry Wold on Monday night in a big NFC East showdown. The Cowboys had a big road win against the Chargers last week and looked great on the road in week 1 at Tampa. Philadelphia struggles offensively against the 49ers last week and they may have a difficult time keeping up with Dallas offensively.

I like the Cowboys to have a big game in their home opener and easily cover the spread as they take the early lead in the NFC East.

Pick: Cowboys Win and Cover

Saints at Patriots (-3.5)

The Saints head to Foxboro to try to get to 2-1 after a dreadful performance on the road vs. the Panthers in week 2, while the Patriots look to string together back-to-back wins and get some momentum for young QB Mac Jones . The Panthers’ defensive line made Jameis Winston uncomfortable throughout the whole game last week and I think defensive-minded Bill Belichick will create similar headaches for the Saints offense at home.

I like the Patriots to win the game and cover with something like a 26-20 final score.

Pick: Patriots to win, cover

Bears at Browns (-7)

The Bears and Browns both bounced back in week 2 with nice wins and face off in Cleveland where rookie Justin Fields will get his first NFL start. While it may be difficult for the Browns to gameplan against Fields without having much NFL game tape, the Browns offense should have Odell Beckham Jr. back and will likely put up plenty of points. I like the Bears with Fields to move the ball and keep this game close, but the Browns should pull away and I like them to cover and the over in this matchup.

Pick: Browns win, over (45.5)

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MVP Odds Heading into week 3

Let’s take a look at the MVP odds as we head into week 3:

Kyler Murray is off to a hot start in 2021

• Kyler Murray (+550)
• Patrick Mahomes (+600)
• Tom Brady (+700)
• Matt Stafford (+1 100)
• Aaron Rodgers (+1 300)

The NFL MVP odds shift around quite a bit from week to week as players have monster weeks. Kyler Murray is the current favorite, but I think the Cardinals will pile up some losses as they get into divisional play and Murray faces the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers defenses. I like Tom Brady at (+700) odds and also think Dak Prescott (+1600) is another player to keep an eye on as the Cowboys look like the early favorite in the NFC East and Prescott should put up some big numbers all year.