NFL Preseason Picks & Predictions: Week 3 (Thursday)
The NFL preseason heads into the final week of action on Thursday night. Thankfully, we have a four-game Thursday slate this week after only having two matchups last week. Most teams will rest their starters while the backup players will fight for a roster spot. Yet, there is still money to be made. Therefore, let's look at my four favorite NFL preseason picks for Thursday night's four-game slate.
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Thursday’s Best NFL Preseason Picks
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
Drew Allar has been the star of the preseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Penn State alum has mostly played well in the first two preseason games, giving fans hope for the future as Aaron Rodgers heads into his final season in the NFL. Allar has averaged 18 pass attempts and 131.5 yards per game over the first two weeks of the preseason, totaling at least 110 yards in both contests.
Furthermore, Pittsburgh will likely let the rookie play a significant portion of Thursday's game, as it is probably the last time Allar sees the field this season.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills are reportedly set to sit most of their starters for this game. Last week, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson combined for 110 passing yards against the Bills. However, Kenny Pickett totaled 92 passing yards in the Week 1 matchup against Buffalo. Allar should finish the preseason with another solid performance.
Pick: Drew Allar Over 109.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Underdog)
New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns
Unfortunately, neither the Patriots nor the Browns has had an outstanding preseason, with the two teams combining for a 1-2-1 record over the first two weeks.
However, New England is 1-0-1, tying the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and defeating the Philadelphia Eagles by three points in Week 2. Meanwhile, Cleveland has spent the preseason determining which of its two awful quarterbacks is less terrible, both of whom are horrific.
More importantly, the Browns are 0-2 during the preseason, losing by 24 points in Week 1 to the Chicago Bears and by 24 points last week to the Buffalo Bills. Cleveland gave up over 30 points in both preseason contests, scoring a total of 17 points over the first two weeks. While neither team will play their starters, I will happily surrender the 2.5 points and back the Patriots.
Pick: Patriots -2.5 (+100 at Polymarket)
San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders
Reportedly, the Raiders will play Fernando Mendoza on Thursday despite the starters getting the night off. However, expect him to only play part of the first half. Las Vegas should play Aidan O'Connell for most of the game, as they try to showcase the veteran quarterback for a potential trade ahead of roster cuts next week.
Even if Mendoza plays into the second half, the Raiders' offense has been awful during the preseason. They scored 14 points in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Furthermore, they needed a game-winning touchdown with 14 seconds left to score 22 points last week.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers have held their opponents to fewer than 20 points in both preseason games, despite facing the opposing starting offense in both matchups.
Pick: Raiders Team Total Under 20.5 Points (-125 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
Head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed earlier this week that Justin Herbert and the first-string unit would start on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams. However, they will likely play only one series for the second consecutive week. The Los Angeles Chargers’ offense struggled in Week 2, managing just three plays on their only drive before sitting for the rest of the night.
Despite facing the San Francisco 49ers' backups last week, Herbert completed only one of his two pass attempts for nine yards. If the Chargers have another poor opening drive on Thursday night, Harbaugh might give the starters a second series. Still, Herbert may not have enough pass attempts to hit the over on his yardage prop, especially with the team's injuries along the offensive line.
Pick: Justin Herbert Under 26.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Underdog)
Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.