Since the 2020 NFL season, Week 3 has averaged 6.5 underdog winners each year (six/seven/nine/five/eight/four). That tells us we shouldn't ignore underdogs when making our picks for this week. What are the best underdog NFL Week 3 picks? I've got a few ideas. Keep reading to find out.
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NFL Week 3 Picks & Predictions: Underdog Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
I see no reason to believe Houston’s offense will suddenly come to life against the Colts’ defense. The offensive line is still bad, the run game is unreliable and C.J. Stroud is looking more and more like someone the team will move on from rather than extend in the offseason.
Yes, the Colts’ defense got torched by Baltimore in Week 1, and Kansas City hung 33 on them in Week 2. But those are both very good offensive teams; Houston is not. With a heavy dose of Jonathan Taylor leading the way, the Colts will keep Stroud off the field, making it hard for Houston’s offense to find any rhythm. If they can do that, Indianapolis will absolutely have a shot at winning this game.
Pick: Colts Moneyline (+105)
Tennessee Titans vs. New York Giants
Part of me can't believe I'm going to say this, but the Titans should have beaten the Philadelphia Eagles. It took a late fourth-quarter drive for Jalen Hurts to put the Eagles ahead for good. Now, I'm still not very confident in Cam Ward and the Tennessee offense, but I have even less faith in a Jameis Winston-led Giants offense.
After one week of practice, Winston and the offense should be better. However, it is hard to say whether the offense will be good enough to beat even a lackluster team like the Titans. If Ward and the Tennessee offense can build off a decent effort against the Eagles’ defense, they can steal this game.
Pick: Titans Moneyline (+114)
New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
How quickly we seem to forget that the Patriots were a 14-win team that reached the Super Bowl last season. But to be fair, the offense has been uninspiring this season. The defense, however, has allowed 16 points. Yes, Jacksonville was a 13-win team last season, and it has shown more life than the Patriots’ offense. But that was against a dreadful Browns defense in Week 1. Things didn't go as well in Week 2 versus the Broncos (20-13 loss).
New England has a good defense that will make Trevor Lawrence work for every yard. Drake Maye will need to up his game against a solid Jaguars defense, and I think he can. It will be a close game, but one I expect the Patriots to pull out in the end.
Pick: Patriots Moneyline (+130)
