NFL Predictions Week 3: Can't-Miss Picks and Matchup Guide

The NFL's Week 3 schedule features a diverse mix of games involving heavy favorites and those that the oddsmakers find too close to call. That should make for an interesting slate for bettors in particular.

Although the NFL season is just two weeks old, there have already been plenty of surprises. Handicappers tend to get better as the season progresses, and Week 3 should be a good test in that regard due to the different types of matchups that will be featured.

With most observers still trying to make heads or tails of the NFL's current landscape, here is a full rundown of predictions for every Week 3 tilt as well as further analysis regarding the best picks against the spread.

Date	Time (ET)	Away Team	Home Team	Spread	Pick Straight Up	Pick ATS
Thursday, Sept. 18	8:25 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Atlanta Falcons	ATL (-6.5)	ATL	TB
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	San Diego Chargers	Buffalo Bills	BUF (-1)	BUF	BUF
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Oakland Raiders	New England Patriots	NE (-16)	NE	OAK
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings	New Orleans Saints	NO (-10.5)	NO	NO
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Tennessee Titans	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN (-7)	CIN	CIN
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Houston Texans	New York Giants	HOU (-1)	NYG	NYG
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland Browns	EVEN	BAL	BAL
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Washington Redskins	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI (-7)	PHI	WAS
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Green Bay Packers	Detroit Lions	DET (-1)	GB	GB
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	St. Louis Rams	EVEN	DAL	DAL
Sunday, Sept. 21	1 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville Jaguars	IND (-7)	IND	IND
Sunday, Sept. 21	4:05 p.m.	San Francisco 49ers	Arizona Cardinals	SF (-2)	SF	SF
Sunday, Sept. 21	4:25 p.m.	Kansas City Chiefs	Miami Dolphins	MIA (-4.5)	KC	KC
Sunday, Sept. 21	4:25 p.m.	Denver Broncos	Seattle Seahawks	SEA (-5)	DEN	DEN
Sunday, Sept. 21	8:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers	Carolina Panthers	CAR (-3)	CAR	CAR
Monday, Sept. 22	8:30 p.m.	Chicago Bears	New York Jets	NYJ (-2.5)	CHI	CHI

Green Bay Packers (+1) at Detroit Lions

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

After an extremely disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks on the road to open the season, the Green Bay Packers rebounded with an important win over the New York Jets in Week 2. The Pack trailed by 18 points at Lambeau Field, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers found his groove and ended up throwing for nearly 350 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

The Detroit Lions' season has played out in just the opposite manner thus far. Detroit's high-powered offense ran the New York Giants ragged in Week 1; however, it couldn't get much of anything going last weekend against a stout Carolina Panthers defense.

Detroit is a slight favorite at home in this NFC North clash, but Rodgers has thrived against the Lions throughout his career, and playing indoor at Ford Field should suit him just fine.

Rodgers owns a career quarterback rating of 111 against Detroit and has thrown 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He also happens to be coming off a huge game in which he and top wide receiver Jordy Nelson were firing on all cylinders.

Nelson ended Week 2 with over 200 receiving yards, and ESPN Stats and Info points out that Rodgers had never before been locked in on a receiver like he was on Nelson:

The Lions may dedicate some extra attention to Nelson, but that will only stand to open things up for receivers Randall Cobb and Jarrett Boykin, as well as Eddie Lacy in the running game.

Green Bay showed incredible resiliency in coming back to beat the Jets last week, and it will use the momentum gained to score a huge triumph over a divisional rival Sunday.

Buffalo Bills (-1) vs. San Diego Chargers

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

There may be no more surprising team in the NFL through the season's first two weeks than the Buffalo Bills. The Bills haven't made the playoffs in this century, but thanks to the combination of a strong defense and impactful running game, Buffalo is all alone in first place in the AFC East.

The San Diego Chargers made the postseason last year, but they shook up the NFL landscape in Week 2 by upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Many questioned the Bolts' validity after they let their Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals get away, but that is no longer the case.

Buffalo is a one-point favorite, which is a line that many may dismiss at first glance. Losing one week after beating the Seahawks would be a big letdown for the Chargers, but there is reason to believe that the Bills are for real, particularly on their home turf.

The Bills thoroughly dominated the Miami Dolphins in all three phases last week. Quarterback EJ Manuel played mistake-free football. C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson moved the chains on the ground throughout the game. Spiller even got involved on special teams with an electric kick return touchdown.

Buffalo has been quite diverse in its play-calling over the first two weeks of the season, and head coach Doug Marrone suggests that the Bills have even more available in their bag of tricks, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.

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I think it's the way the games have gone. We've had our no huddle packages in both games. It's just a matter of picking and choosing, strategically, when we want to use them. There was a point where we were going to use it (last Sunday), but, at that time, we felt it was better to slow it down because the defense was on the field for a little bit. We have it in and I think we'll do whatever it takes to win.

"

In addition to keeping San Diego's defense guessing, the Bills could have an advantage against the Chargers offense as well. Despite the success that quarterback Philip Rivers had in the face of Seattle's defense last week, he was under duress for much of the game, per Sal Capaccio of WGR 550:

The Bills have a fantastic defensive line featuring Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes. That means Rivers and his offensive line will have their hands full all game long.

Tight end Antonio Gates was the X-factor against the Seahawks, but the Bills have enough depth in the secondary to counteract him. Either cornerback Corey Graham or Leodis McKelvin could draw that assignment, but safety Aaron Williams could fill the role as well.

Buffalo will be honed in on Gates after what he did last week, and that will help the Bills pull off yet another huge victory.

Dallas Cowboys (Even) at St. Louis Rams

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys were essentially inept in their Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but nothing was further from the truth in Week 2. America's Team looked beyond competent as it destroyed a tricky Tennessee Titans team on the road, 26-10.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Dallas' struggles in Week 1 was quarterback Tony Romo's inability to protect the football. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan took the ball out of Romo's hands for much of Sunday's game and placed his faith in running back DeMarco Murray.

That faith was rewarded, as Murray rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. The Cowboys have played only two games, but Murray is currently on track for an all-time great season if this usage continues, according to ESPN's Trey Wingo:

The Cowboys remarkably held the ball for 41 minutes in Week 2, and that is a winning recipe that can work anywhere in the NFL. Dallas has another road game in Week 3, but it is against a St. Louis Rams squad that is riddled with injuries.

Whether Shaun Hill or Austin Davis gets the start at quarterback for the Rams, they simply don't have enough to hurt Dallas' questionable defense. Add in the Cowboys' excellent running game, and it is tough to not like their chances.

Even if the Rams load up the box and sell out to stop Murray, the Cowboys can rest assured knowing that Romo has elite weapons such as Dez Bryant and Jason Witten in the passing game. Dallas seems to have really found something in the form of a power running game, and that should lead to a second consecutive triumph away from home.

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