NFL Preseason Week 3 Odds: Teams Set to Showcase Starters for Last Time

The third week of the NFL preseason is generally considered the final dress rehearsal before the regular season kicks off. In other words, bettors should expect to see starters more than usual prior to the preseason finale and more than likely for the last time until the real games get underway.

That also means the NFL betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark will be closer to what they would be for regular-season matchups.

Two games will begin Week 3 of the preseason on Thursday, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Miami Dolphins as 3.5-point home favorites. Both teams are 1-1 so far and looking to prove they will be contenders in their respective divisions this season.

For the Dolphins, new starting quarterback Jay Cutler should get an extended look in an effort to get the former retiree as much game action as possible. Meanwhile, the Eagles will probably give second-year signal-caller Carson Wentz some quality time with the first-team offense as well to get him ready to roll.

In Thursday's other game, the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Carolina Panthers in a pick'em affair. Again, each team is 1-1 and trying to work on improving weaknesses.

The Jaguars struggled offensively last week behind quarterback Blake Bortles in a 12-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after upsetting the New England Patriots 31-24 in their preseason opener. The Panthers are anxiously awaiting the preseason debut of their quarterback Cam Newton after he sat out following shoulder surgery.

Two more preseason games will take place on Friday, with nine more on Saturday and three slated for Sunday to wrap up Week 3. Of those 14 remaining games, 11 have the home team favored, and two are currently off the board.

The lone road favorite is defending Super Bowl champion New England, listed as two-point chalk versus the Detroit Lions on Friday. The Patriots are 0-2 and have not lost three preseason games since 2012, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.

The Lions are one of eight unbeaten teams at 2-0 and have won three preseason games in three of the previous four years.