There were plenty of wild finishes during last week's Sunday slate -- including Greg Zuerlein playing the hero in Los Angeles and heartbreak for the Minnesota Vikings on the road after a missed kick by Greg Joseph. And, Lamar Jackson finally exercised his demons by snapping a three-game winless streak against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (I think Andy Reid will think twice about taking the ball out of his star QB's hands on the final drive). Now, it's time to dive into Week 3 where there are some pivotal divisional matchups early in the season and a potential NFC Championship preview going on in Los Angeles.
**All betting lines from bet365.com (updated Sunday)**
Carolina Panthers (2-0) @ Houston Texans (1-1)
The Panthers are 2-0 and could be sitting atop the NFC South after the conclusion of Sunday's games -- who saw that coming? Matt Rhule might just pan out for this organization and the Panthers' front seven seems like no joke after an impressive performance in a 26-7 win over the New Orleans Saints last week. With the pass rush solidified and if Christian McCaffrey can stay healthy, this team could be a tough challenge for anybody this season. The Texans will be without Tyrod Taylor, after he was placed on IR earlier this week, and will turn to Davis Mills under center. The only real threat on this Texans offense right now seems to be Brandin Cooks and I have a hard time believing Mills will catch "lightning in a bottle" here against a tough Panthers defense. Panthers, 24-13.
Line: Panthers -8
Spread: Panthers
ML: Panthers
Arizona Cardinals (2-0) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
This has a bit of a trap game feel to it with the Cardinals set for a big divisional showdown with the L.A. Rams next week. DeAndre Hopkins is a game-time decision, but even if he can't go (or is deployed as a decoy), Kyler Murray will still have Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore at his disposal. The Jags played better last week, but this group under Urban Meyer looks lost to start the season and the questions are already swirling about his potential departure back to college football. The one thing that could keep the Jags in this football game is a suspect Cards secondary. Cardinals, 30-23.
Line: Cardinals -7.5
Spread: Jaguars
ML: Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons (0-2) @ N.Y. Giants (0-2)
Well, it's Week 3 and we're already in must-win territory for both of these teams. The Giants did a lot of good things offensively last Thursday in Washington, but still managed to let that game slip through their fingertips. I don't think Daniel Jones can play much better than he did and it still wasn't enough. The Falcons showed some fight on the road in Tampa Bay last week, but there are still many glaring issues on both sides of the ball for this team and it's hard to see them consistently staying competitive in the majority of their games this year. I'm not sure who will have the breakout between Calvin Ridley or Saquon Barkley, but I'm going to side with the home team here. Giants, 26-23.
Line: Giants -2.5
Spread: Giants
ML: Giants
Baltimore Ravens (1-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-2)
The Ravens are coming off a Sunday night thriller where they finally snapped a three-game losing streak against the Chiefs. I might be alone on this island, but I feel as though Lamar Jackson expelled a ton of energy in that win, so much so, that he apparently injured his hip on the frontward flip celebration into the end zone. What's more is that he's been dealing with an illness all week that's limited his practice reps. This game absolutely screams letdown for the Ravens here and through two weeks of the season, Dan Campbell's Lions are living up to the moniker of being tough to play against. Honestly, I could see a backdoor cover here with Jared Goff able to expose an injury riddled Ravens secondary. Ravens, 31-24.
Line: Ravens -7.5
Spread: Lions
ML: Ravens
Chicago Bears (1-1) @ Cleveland Browns (1-1)
The big storyline to this game will be how Justin Fields settles in against the Browns pass rush. Everyone is anticipating his NFL debut, but for me, I don't think there will be a lot of glitz and glamour. Matt Nagy has seemed extremely hesitant to use the rookie and I have a feeling it's because he doesn't trust his offensive line. For the Browns, they had high hopes coming into the year (at least winning the AFC North), but I'm not liking what I'm seeing from Baker Mayfield through two weeks. He started slow last season too, so maybe the return of Odell Beckham Jr. will light a fire under him? Browns, 25-19.
Line: Browns -7.5
Spread: Bears
ML: Browns
Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Here's my upset pick of the week: the Bengals. The Steelers have major issues on offense and it starts with the fact that we're barely scratching the surface on the schedule and Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a pectoral injury. Diontae Johnson has also been ruled out for this game after a scare in the final seconds of last week's loss to the Raiders. They really can't seem to get Najee Harris going the way they want to and it's not going to be any easier this week against a Bengals defense giving up just 95 RYDS/G (11th in NFL) through the first two weeks. I seriously question Big Ben's health and even though the Bengals will have their share of growing pains with Joe Burrow and the offense this year, the Steelers are just too banged up this early. Bengals, 21-18.
Line: Steelers -2.5
Spread: Bengals
ML: Bengals
Indianapolis Colts (0-2) @ Tennessee Titans (1-1)
What a performance Derrick Henry put on in the second half of that come from behind win last week over the Seahawks. He really is the lifeline of this offense and when he's pounding the rock, everyone is clicking. This is a divisional game, but I don't think Carson Wentz suits up for the Colts here (nursing two sprained ankles...what are the odds?) and that means they will turn to Brett Hundley. The Titans should be able to control this game and lean on Henry for some big chunks of yardage. Titans, 27-16.
Line: Titans -5
Spread: Titans
ML: Titans
L.A. Chargers (1-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
This has the potential to be the game of the weekend (it will face stiff competition later in the day) as there is plenty of offensive firepower to go around in this one. The Chargers were stunned at home last week, 20-17, after a gritty defensive performance by the Cowboys. Justin Herbert sputtered a little bit and the offense couldn't seem to capitalize when needed. For the Chiefs, they're coming off a back breaking loss to the Ravens on Sunday night after Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumbled late in the 4th quarter. I'm willing to bet Andy Reid won't take the ball out of Patrick Mahomes' hands again if they need a late drive. The one thing to watch in this game is the matchup at the line of scrimmage, the Chiefs' offensive line has been mediocre and could be exposed by the Chargers pass rush. Chiefs, 33-27.
Line: Chiefs -7
Spread: Chargers
ML: Chiefs
New Orleans Saints (1-1) @ New England Patriots (1-1)
Mac Jones was calm, cool and collected for the second straight week as the Patriots got in the win column. Bill Belichick continued his dominance against rookie QB's as the Pats defense smothered Zach Wilson, forcing four interceptions. Now, Jameis Winston is the target and if Belichick can disguise some blitzes to throw off his timing, it could be another ugly performance for Winston. I think the Saints really miss Michael Thomas as that security blanket in the offense and will have to find ways to get Alvin Kamara some space if they want to win this game. The good news for the Saints is they will have Marshon Lattimore back in the secondary, so that should give their defense a boost, but I didn't like what I saw from Winston last week after a hot start in Week 1. Patriots, 21-17.
Line: Patriots -3
Spread: Patriots
ML: Patriots
Washington Football Team (1-1) @ Buffalo Bills (1-1)
The Bills bounced back in impressive fashion last week, crushing the Dolphins 35-0. Tua Tagovailoa left that game early on, but it wouldn't have mattered as the Bills had things in cruise control from the start. Now, they're at home for their second home game of the season against a pesky WFT squad, whose defense hasn't exactly lived up to expectations to start the year. Checking the weather report, it will be quite windy in Buffalo today and I anticipate added touches in the running game for both sides. This plays into WFT's advantage a little bit as they will likely want to lean on Antonio Gibson to exploit the Bills' rush defense. However, I can't see the Bills dropping another home game. Bills, 24-16.
Line: Bills -7
Spread: Bills
ML: Bills
Miami Dolphins (1-1) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Remember this epic thriller last year where Ryan Fitzpatrick rallied the Dolphins to a late field goal win on the heels of a bomb down the field and a facemask call on the Raiders defense? Well, it might not have the same flare for the dramatic in this matchup, but I think Jacoby Brissett will keep the Dolphins in this game. So far, the Raiders have been the most surprising 2-0 team with wins over the Ravens and Steelers. I think they have enough to keep the momentum going as Derek Carr is playing great football right now; the only troubling part for the Raiders will be the run game with Josh Jacobs unlikely to play. Raiders, 26-21.
Line: Raiders -3.5
Spread: Raiders
ML: Raiders
N.Y. Jets (0-2) @ Denver Broncos (2-0)
Wilson made several mistakes last week against the Pats and he's in for another tough task against a stout Broncos defense as he makes his first start at Mile High stadium. I like the Broncos, especially with Teddy Bridgewater playing smart football, but, I think the Jets' defense has played better than people are giving them credit for and I can't imagine Robert Saleh doesn't have his team ready to play this week after an embarrassing loss. I think the spread is a little big for me, so I'll lean towards the Jets covering. Broncos, 22-14.
Line: Broncos -10
Spread: Jets
ML: Broncos
Seattle Seahawks (1-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
The Seahawks had last week's game in the bag up 24-9 at home in the second half, but they just simply fell asleep at the wheel and let (Derrick) Henry trample them (no shame in this, he does it to everybody). This is a major red flag as the Seahawks should comfortably be 2-0 and now head out on the road against a Vikings team that is better than their 0-2 record indicates. This could be an absolute shootout as I don't think either defense can stop a nosebleed right now. Anthony Barr remains out for the Vikings and it looks like Dalvin Cook won't suit up either (Alexander Mattison might be a value DFS play this week), so Kirk Cousins could be airing it out frequently today. Seahawks, 37-33.
Line: Seahawks -2
Spread: Seahawks
ML: Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) @ L.A. Rams (2-0)
This is the matchup that most viewers will want to see today as Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford square off in what could be a potential NFC Championship preview (it's my prediction for the record). Darrell Henderson Jr. will not play in this game, but that's likely irrelevant anyway because the Bucs are tough to run on. The Bucs probably wish they had Jason Pierre-Paul for this matchup as his presence would create problems for Stafford and I expect the Rams to come out aggressive against Brady. Jalen Ramsey and Mike Evans should be a great matchup and with Antonio Brown ruled out, look for Brady to call on the big man, Rob Gronkowski a ton. Rams, 28-27.
Line: Buccaneers -1
Spread: Rams
ML: Rams
Green Bay Packers (1-1) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
The 49ers gutted out a tough win on the road in Philadelphia last week, but even though they won the fight, it looks like they lost the war. Both JaMycal Hasty and Elijah Mitchell are out for this game, so Kyle Shanahan will be drawing up plays for the rookie Trey Sermon. The Packers' offense got rolling at home against the Lions on Monday night as Aaron Rodgers looked like the familiar gunslinger we all know him to be. There's just something about Rodgers and playing on the West Coast...it doesn't seem to jive. 49ers, 26-21.
Line: 49ers -3
Spread: 49ers
ML: 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
This is a huge divisional game on Monday night and both teams are absolutely littered with injuries. The Eagles will be without Jordan Mailata, Rodney McLeod, Brandon Brooks and Brandon Graham. Meanwhile, the Cowboys won't have DeMarcus Lawrence, Keanu Neal, Michael Gallup, Ty Nsekhe and Carlos Watkins. Do the Eagles have enough to get sustained pressure on Dak Prescott? Maybe, but I think he finds a way to cut loose and make some big plays. On the flip side, Jalen Hurts should have his way with the Cowboys' defense and I think this has the makings for a Monday night shootout. Cowboys, 27-24.
Line: Cowboys -3.5
Spread: Eagles
ML: Cowboys
2021 Results
Week 2
ATS: 9-7
ML: 10-6
Overall
ATS: 20-12
ML: 19-13
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