NFL Week 3 Picks: Odds, Prop Bets and Predictions Before Thursday Night

When the injury report came out Wednesday night, New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was listed as doubtful for New England's home game against the Houston Texans Thursday night.

If Garoppolo can't play as a result of the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett will get the first start of his career. Brissett relieved Garoppolo on Sunday after the quarterback was hit hard in the second quarter against the Dolphins.

An inexperienced third-round draft pick from North Carolina State would seemingly not have much of a chance to beat a Texans defense that includes All-Pro J.J. Watt and speedy Whitney Mercilus, but Bill Belichick's team is never easy to beat, especially at Gillette Stadium.

The Texans and the Patriots are rated at even in this game, according to Odds Shark, and the Patriots have Belichick working up the game plan. Belichick does many things to help his team win, and he will find his opponent's biggest weakness and give his team a plan to execute. Conversely, he will also try to protect his team's most vulnerable area.

That means Brissett, who could become a fine quarterback with significant experience, should not have to win the game on his own. The Patriots will need their running game, defense and special teams to gain key advantages in this one.

That could happen, especially with the special teams advantage. New England has had a huge edge with placekicker Stephen Gostkowski and gunner Matthew Slater throughout the years. Look for the Pats' proficiency on special teams to play a key role as New England wins at home even though the team is down to its third-string quarterback.

The Pats are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Texans.

Matchup	Spread	Predicted Spread Cover
Houston at New England	Even	New England
Minnesota at Carolina	CAR -7	Minnesota
Detroit at Green Bay	GB -7.5	Green Bay
Baltimore at Jacksonville	Even	Baltimore
Arizona at Buffalo	ARI -4	Arizona
Oakland at Tennessee	TEN -1.5	Oakland
Cleveland at Miami	MIA -9.5	Miami
Washington at N.Y. Giants	NYG -4.5	New York Giants
Denver at Cincinnati	CIN -3	Denver
San Francisco at Seattle	SEA -9.5	Seattle
L.A. Rams at Tampa Bay	TB -5.5	Los Angeles
N.Y. Jets at Kansas City	KC -3	NYJ
San Diego at Indianapolis	IND -2.5	Indianapolis
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia	PIT -3.5	Pittsburgh
Chicago at Dallas	DAL -7	Dallas
Atlanta at New Orleans	ATL -3	New Orleans

Bruce Arians is not an easy man to please. His Arizona Cardinals rolled to a 40-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, but the head coach was not thrilled with his team's performance.

He criticized running back David Johnson (h/t Dan Bickley of AZCentral.com) and was not impressed by Chandler Jones' fourth-quarter sack. 

That's tough love from a coach who was on the winning end of a blowout. On Sunday, the Cardinals play on the road for the first time this season, going New York State to take on the winless Buffalo Bills.

The Bills have a talented roster, boasting running back LeSean McCoy, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tyrod Taylor. However, the team has not shown any offensive cohesiveness in its first two games, and the Bills fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the Week 2 loss to the New York Jets.

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Head coach Rex Ryan is clearly under pressure, and if his team is tight when it takes the field against Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald, Buffalo is likely to fall to 0-3.

Palmer is one of the most accurate and effective deep passers in the game, and if his offensive line gives him time, he will pick the Bills apart. While Taylor is a talented quarterback, he is going to have to prove he can find his receivers consistently.

Arians was not satisfied with a 33-point victory. He is going to push his team hard all season, and his team seems likely to follow his lead. Ryan seems like he is just about holding onto his job, and any time something goes wrong, the mistakes multiply.

The Cardinals are four-point favorites, and we like the road team to win by at least seven points over the disappointing Bills.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts are in a critical situation after dropping the first two games of the year. Losing a third straight contest would not mark the end of their season, but it would leave the Colts in a deep hole if they want to make the playoffs

The Colts probably should have won their Week 1 opener at home against the Detroit Lions. Quarterback Andrew Luck threw four touchdown passes in that game, but the Colts could not keep the Lions from driving for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

The Colts dropped a 34-20 decision on the road to the Denver Broncos in Week 2, but they were right in the game into the fourth quarter.

Sunday's opponents, the San Diego Chargers, are coming off a one-sided victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars after losing their opener in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers had a three-touchdown lead in that road game late in the third quarter, but they could not sustain their advantage in the fourth quarter.

Indianapolis is the 2.5-point favorite. Quarterback Philip Rivers should lead San Diego to a solid performance, but the host will not let this game slip. The Colts take charge in the fourth quarter and pull away.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are often associated with the postseason in general and the Super Bowl in particular. However, Las Vegas makes certain props available throughout the regular season.

One of those is Super Bowl odds. According to Odds Shark, the Patriots are the 9-2 favorites to win Super Bowl LI in Houston in February.

The same source notes that the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the best offensive teams in the league, are the second choice at 7-1 to win the championship, while the Green Bay Packers are 8-1, making them the top NFC team in the rankings.