NFL Week 3 Predictions: Initial Vegas Odds, Lines, Spreads and Projections

The NFL season is a mere two weeks old, but the small sample size won’t stop pigskin fans from testing their luck in Las Vegas in Week 3.

The Week 3 slate features a number of intriguing battles, and bettors don’t have to wait long for a contest loaded with storylines. The New England Patriots and Houston Texans square off on Thursday in a showdown that pits division winners from a season ago against each other and a stout Texans defense against a Patriots offense with health question marks.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Eagles face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Keystone State battle, the Minnesota Vikings square off against the defending MVP and the Carolina Panthers, and the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals play in a contest that could have playoff implications down the line.

With that in mind, here is a look at the initial odds and a projection for each game. Point spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark as of Monday at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Game	Point Spread	Predicted Winner
Houston Texans at New England Patriots	HOU -2	Houston Texans
Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills	AZ -5.5	Arizona Cardinals
Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans	Pick	Oakland Raiders
Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins	MIA -7	Miami Dolphins
Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars	Pick	Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers	GB -8	Green Bay Packers
Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -3.5	Cincinnati Bengals
Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers	CAR -6.5	Carolina Panthers
Washington at New York Giants	NYG -4	New York Giants
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -3.5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks	SEA -11	Seattle Seahawks
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs	KC -4	Kansas City Chiefs
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts	IND -3	Indianapolis Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles	PIT -5.5	Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys	DAL -4	Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints	NO -3.5	New Orleans Saints

Houston's Defense Will Hand New England its First Loss

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

The Patriots are 2-0 and always on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders, but the injury concerns are starting to pile up.

Tom Brady is still suspended for his role in the Deflategate scandal, and superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski has not played yet because of a hamstring injury. The Patriots listed Gronkowski as inactive for Sunday's contest against the Miami Dolphins.

What's more, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday filling in for Brady, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald said "the Patriots know he won't play Thursday night against the Texans, per [a] source."

Howe also reported the injury was a sprained AC joint that sometimes take one or two weeks to heal.

Jacoby Brissett entered Sunday's game for Garoppolo and finished 6-of-9 for 92 yards with zero turnovers, but he wasn't able to mount enough sustained drives to work significant clock. The Patriots were ahead 31-3 at one point in the third quarter but barely hung on for the 31-24 victory. That type of finishing stretch won't be enough against Houston's daunting defense.

The Texans gave up 14 points in Week 1 to the Chicago Bears and sacked Jay Cutler five times, per ESPN.com. They were dominant again in Week 2 in a 19-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs and sacked Alex Smith four times, per ESPN.com. Houston gave up just four field goals from Cairo Santos in the scoring department on Sunday and suffocated Kansas City's attack.

The Houston defensive front features J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Vince Wilfork and Jadeveon Clowney, among others, and could terrorize the inexperienced Brissett. The Patriots have a short week to prepare as it is, and the Texans will feast on New England's offense.

Wilfork will also make sure his team is ready to play if his comments were any indication, per Adam Spolane of CBS Houston: “One thing I know, [Bill] Belichick will have that team ready to play, I guarantee you that one. If anybody’s hanging their hat on thinking we’re gonna get a Patriots team that is going to lay down, they’re crazy."

The Texans won't overlook the injured Patriots and will come away with the win. 

Pittsburgh Will Own the State

The Steelers are off to a 2-0 start this year and appear primed to be one of the best teams in the league with playmakers galore.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He tallied 126 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in Pittsburgh's 38-16 Week 1 victory over Washington. While he didn't do much in Week 2 against the Bengals with 39 receiving yards and no touchdowns, the Steelers still won against a quality opponent in a testament to their overall depth.

What's more, running back DeAngelo Williams is the ageless wonder filling in for Le'Veon Bell. The 33-year-old running back notched 143 rushing yards and two scores against Washington and 94 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards and a touchdown catch against Cincinnati.

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report said, "If this is what it means to be old, we should all drink whatever Williams is drinking. The 33-year-old veteran has found the fountain of football youth, in the process becoming a savior for the Steelers."

With Brown and Williams, along with Ben Roethlisberger dictating the pace under center, the Steelers will handle the Eagles in Week 3. The offense is loaded, and the defense has allowed a mere 16 points in each of the first two games.

As for the Eagles, they are yet to play their Week 2 game (against the Chicago Bears on Monday), but they did look impressive against the Cleveland Browns in a 29-10 win in Week 1. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz tallied 278 passing yards and two touchdowns in that game and appeared comfortable in the pocket.

However, it is too early to fully trust the rookie if you are looking to make picks in Las Vegas. The Steelers defense made the Bengals offense look pedestrian on Sunday and will do the same against the Eagles.

Cincinnati Will Bounce Back From Week 2 Loss

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

There is no shame for the Bengals in losing on the road to the loaded Steelers, and they will bounce back against the Broncos in Week 3.

Cincinnati already has a quality win against a New York Jets team that won in Week 2 and could challenge for a postseason spot by December. Plus, the game against the Broncos will be the Bengals' home opener in familiar surroundings with a crowd that should be into it from the opening kickoff.

The Broncos defense is one of the best in the league, but wide receiver A.J. Green will open up the field for Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin notched 91 receiving yards and a touchdown against Denver in Week 1, and Green will post similar numbers.

However, the Bengals will win this game largely on the defensive side. Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian has directed his team to two straight wins to open the season, but this will be his first career start on the road. He also has one touchdown pass and three interceptions through his first two games.

Those types of turnovers will prove costly on the road.

Denver's defense is talented and will make life difficult on the Bengals even if Green finds some openings, but Siemian is not quite ready to beat a team that has made the playoffs five straight seasons. Cincinnati will win in a defensive slugfest.