Media by Associated Press – Aaron Rodgers during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Green Bay, Wis.
Here is a look at our top five teams in the NFL to bet on in Week 3.
Green Bay +3 at Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay offense hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire so far this season, with 39 points combined in the first two games. Chris Godwin and Julio Jones were both out last week, and now they will be without top wideout Mike Evans who is suspended. The offensive line is also hurting, which will play into the Green Bay Packers’ hands this week.
Green Bay has the second-highest pressure rate on quarterbacks so far this season at 40.8$, and they don’t blitz much. They will generate pressure on Brady through the front four and make him uncomfortable throughout.
The Bucs have played very well against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, with Todd Bowles in charge of the defense. But Green Bay spread the ball to eight receivers last week and used their running backs more than in the opener. Look for this game to be close throughout and take the points.
Baltimore -3 at New England
Yes, the Baltimore Ravens blew a big lead on Sunday, but this Patriots team isn’t built to come back from big deficits. They also aren’t built on offense to keep up with Baltimore and score 30 points. The New England defense has kept teams out of the end zone, but they have allowed the fourth most yards in the NFL so far this season.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens lead the league in yards per play at 7.0 and rank fourth in scoring at 31 ppg. Without big weapons for Mac Jones, the Patriots aren’t going to shred the Ravens’ secondary like Miami did with Tyreek Hill. Look for the Ravens to win this game by at least a touchdown.
Atlanta +2.5 at Seattle
The Seattle Seahawks won an emotional game against Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos in the opening week. But even in that win, they were lucky with two Broncos fumbles on the one-yard line and a missed field goal at the end of the game. Seattle then put up just one score against San Francisco.
Atlanta is 0-2, but they had the lead late against New Orleans and rallied back against the Rams. The Falcons wisely stayed on the west coast this week to eliminate cross-country travel and keep their body clocks the same. The Falcons should be able to take advantage of a Seattle team that allows 8.0 yards per attempt passing and an offense in the bottom five in nearly every category after two games.
Philadelphia -6.5 at Washington
Carson Wentz will surely be fired up for some revenge against the Eagles on Sunday, but the way Philadelphia is playing, that may not matter. Darius Slay and Jalen Hurts had monster games on Monday night for the Eagles, who clearly look like the team to beat in the NFC East.
Hurts is second in the NFL in rushing yards, and he’s been able to get all his receivers involved so far this season. The Washington offense has just 86 yards on the ground from Antonio Gibson, and Wentz is throwing more than 40 times a game. That is a bad recipe against Slay and the ball-hawking Eagles’ defense.
Chicago -2.5 v. Houston
Another revenge game as Lovie Smith returns to Soldier Field as the head coach of the Houston Texans. Both teams need a win, with Chicago at 1-1 and Houston at 0-1-1. And both teams are playing young, struggling quarterbacks in Justin Field and Davis Mills.
The key to a Bears win and cover is David Montgomery. On Sunday night, he was great against the Packers, and Houston ranks 30th in the league against the run. Montgomery leads all running backs with eight broken tackles, and the Texans have the most missed tackles in the NFL.
If Fields can take care of the ball, the Bears should go to 2-0 at home this season and send Smith packing again.
Detroit +6 at Minnesota
Both teams are 1-1 in the NFC North, and this feels like a field goal type of game. Detroit took the Eagles to the wire in the opener and beat Washington last Sunday, scoring 35.5 ppg. D’Andre Swift has 200 rushing yards thus far, and Jared Goff has 471 passing yards for a balanced offense.
The Vikings have just 30 points on the season, 23 in the opening win against Green Bay. They ran for just 62 yards in Philadelphia on Monday, and Kirk Cousins was picked off three times. They have allowed 274 rushing yards on the season, and Detroit should be able to take advantage of that.
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