Week 3 NFL Picks: Predictions for Sunday's Games, Odds Guide and Over/Under Tips

Bettors have every right to look at Week 3 NFL lines out of Las Vegas with skepticism.

In a normal week, those who enjoy going against the house can find some success with straight-up lines and pad bets with smart plays on over/under odds.

Then Thursday Night Football happened. The New England Patriots beat the Houston Texans with third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett under center. Bettors couldn't even grab the over/under in any significant way, either, not with the final score a 27-0 mark.

Now is the time for bettors to make a rebound. It seems risky given how the week started, but several opportunities to rebuild losses and add in prep for next week exist.

NFL Week 3 Odds

Matchup	Spread	O/U	Predicted Winner
Minnesota at Carolina	CAR -7	43	CAR 23-17
Detroit at Green Bay	GB -7.5	48	GB 28-25
Baltimore at Jacksonville	BAL -1	47	JAC 20-17
Arizona at Buffalo	ARI -4.5	47	ARI 24-20
Oakland at Tennessee	TEN -1	47	OAK 23-14
Cleveland at Miami	MIA -10	42.5	MIA 17-13
Washington at N.Y. Giants	NYG -4	47	NYG 30-27
Denver at Cincinnati	CIN -3	41	DEN 23-17
San Francisco at Seattle	SEA -9	40	SEA 24-23
L.A. Rams at Tampa Bay	TB -6	42	TB 28-24
N.Y. Jets at Kansas City	KC -3	43.5	KC 21-17
San Diego at Indianapolis	IND -3	52	SD 28-20
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia	PIT -3.5	46.5	PIT 24-23
Chicago at Dallas	DAL -7	45.5	DAL 30-17
Atlanta at New Orleans (MNF)	NO -3	53.5	NO 33-30

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Minnesota at Carolina (-7)

O/U: 43

See? Easy enough.

The Carolina Panthers, for all the hype around Cam Newton and the return of No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin, only scored 20 points in the face of an elite Denver Broncos defense to start the season before hanging 26 on the lowly San Francisco 49ers.

Led by head coach Mike Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings live in Denver's neighborhood when it comes to elite defenses. The unit has allowed no more than 16 points in a game thus far, including limiting Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to 14. 

Back in 2014, Minnesota hosted this encounter and took a lopsided 31-13 decision while holding Newton to 194 passing yards. The unit can manage dual-threat quarterbacks, especially if the offense can uphold its end of the deal.

The under is the only play here, with the Vikings keeping it close on the road. The visitors won't have Adrian Peterson in the backfield, and the hosts won't have Jonathan Stewart.

In other words, this sets the stage for a one-dimensional duel between Newton and Sam Bradford. Both have looked great in their own way so far, but a lack of weapons around either lends itself to a low-scoring affair where the reigning MVP squeezes out a win at home.

Prediction: Panthers 20-17

Cleveland at Miami (-10)

O/U: 42.5

Another underdog against the spread and under pick resides in what should stand as an ugly game of football between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.

A punchline: Most NFL fans know the quarterback carousel continues in Cleveland. Head coach Hue Jackson now has to trot out Cody Kessler—a third-round rookie—at quarterback after losing both Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown to injuries.

Cleveland has predictably lost both games to start the season, managing 30 total points in the process. Ditto for the Dolphins while scoring 34 and watching Ryan Tannehill struggle with no notable stats in the first game and a pair of interceptions in the second.

"I don't know how much more he can really step up considering that he's doing everything right now that we need him to do," Miami head coach Adam Gase said, according to ESPN.com. "It's just that we need every guy to pull their weight."

Tannehill also happens to lead the Dolphins in rushing, so it speaks to the offensive woes that the head coach was willing to call out the guys around the quarterback. This also includes a defense that allowed New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo to drop three touchdown passes on the way to a 31-24 victory.

With a third-stringer on one side and a starter getting no help on the other, bettors have an easy avenue to a little bankroll padding here. There's always the weird chance this turns into a shootout, but it's just hard to see.

Prediction: Dolphins 17-13

Atlanta at New Orleans (-3)

O/U: 53.5

A supposed track meet between the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants last week disappointed and likely burned a few bettors when the latter won 16-13 in a boring affair.

Fret not—the Saints and Atlanta Falcons don't usually much care about limiting points in the NFC South meets.

A year ago, the Saints hosted the Falcons and came away with a 31-21 victory, close to this year's over/under.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

The Saints scored 34 points in the first game of the season before the dud against New York. Atlanta has dropped 24- and 35-point outings so far. New Orleans clearly has plenty of potential if the attack is a balanced one (44 passes to 13 rushes in loss to New York), while Atlanta's Matt Ryan has breezed past the 300-yard mark in consecutive games.

With plenty of fireworks expected, bettors should roll with the hosts. Not only do Brees and the Saints have backs against the wall in an 0-2 hole, Monday marks the 10-year anniversary of the team's return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

"It's probably going to be their Super Bowl," Atlanta safety Kemal Ishmael said, according to ESPN.com. "I know it's going to be something special for them, and they're going to get after us."

Look for a shootout. New Orleans has a secondary ravaged by injury and Atlanta hasn't looked much better, against Brees in past years or most.

Prediction: Saints 33-30

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.