NFL Week 3 Picks: Predictions for Each Game's Odds and Over-Under Lines

The Carolina Panthers had a miserable 6-10 season in 2016, and they earned their last-place finish in the NFC South with consistently disappointing play. Head coach Ron Rivera was embarrassed because his team had slumped from NFC champion the previous year and had seemingly lost its way.

However, the Panthers are 2-0 early in the season, so everything is right with the Panthers once again, right? Hardly.

While they dominated the San Francisco 49ers in the opener, they struggled badly to beat the Buffalo Bills 9-3 in Week 2. The Panthers could not get into the end zone against the Bills and lost stellar tight end Greg Olsen to a broken foot. Quarterback Cam Newton also took a huge hit in the game that left him somewhat wobbly.

While Newton was able to return to the game, he was not sharp after that. He missed a wide open Christian McCaffrey around the goal line with a fourth-quarter pass, and it's clear that the offense is not close to playing efficient football.

The Panthers host the 0-2 New Orleans Saints this week, and while New Orleans has the kind of defense that many opponents can feast on, one has to wonder if the Panthers can mount a serious attack against them.

If they can't, the Saints will have a good chance to pick up their first win of the season. Drew Brees & Co. have come up short against the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots, but Brees is capable of finding open receivers and launching scoring drives.

The Saints scored 20 points against the Patriots, and Brees has an excellent go-to receiver in Michael Thomas, and Coby Fleener can also make tough catches in traffic that keep drives alive.

The Panthers are six-point favorites, according to OddsShark. With the way the Carolina offense is struggling, New Orleans should get the decisive cover and will likely win the game outright.

Matchup, Line, Over/Under, Prediction (Odds courtesy of OddsShark)

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, LAR -2/40, LAR/Under

Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore -3.5/39.5, Baltimore/Under

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh -7/44, Pittsburgh/Under

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings, NL, Minnesota

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, Denver -3/40, Denver/Under

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers, Carolina -6/46.5, New Orleans/Over

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions, Atlanta -3/50, Detroit/Over

Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland -1/40.5, Indianapolis/Under

Houston Texans at New England Patriots, New England -13/43.5, Houston*/Over

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, Miami -6/41.5, Miami/Under

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia -6/43, New York/Under

Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, Tennessee -3/42.5, Tennessee/Under

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City -3/47, Kansas City/Over

Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers, Green Bay -8.5/44.5, Green Bay/Over

Oakland Raiders at Washington Redskins, Oakland -3/54, Washington/Over

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals, Dallas -3/47, Arizona/Under

*-will cover spread but fail to win game.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press/Associated Press

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions

The Falcons have avoided the dreaded Super Bowl hangover through the first two weeks of the season, edging the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and hammering the Green Bay Packers once again in Week 2.

The Lions are also 2-0, and their road victory over the New York Giants on Monday night was quite surprising. Prime-time road games have rarely treated the Lions well, as they have been prone to mistakes in clutch situations over the years.

However, Matthew Stafford continues to play well and pick up his game in important situations. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 122 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Giants. The yardage total was not impressive, but he remained in control throughout the game and refused to make mistakes.

If the Lions are stepping up, they will get the chance to prove it this week against the Falcons. They host the defending NFC champions, and Detroit should have every chance to compete on even terms.

The Lions are not known for their running game, but Ameer Abdullah ran for 86 yards against the Giants and gave Detroit the balance it needed to play a complete game. Look for Abdullah to be a prime factor against the Falcons.

The team will likely need more from Stafford and the passing game against the Falcons than they showed against the Giants. Golden Tate is capable of making the big catch in traffic and running out of tackles. Marvin Jones is a solid No. 2 wide receiver.

The Falcons are three-point favorites in the game, but the Lions have momentum and will be greeted by their long-suffering home fans. Look for Detroit to play an excellent game at home and get the upset as the Falcons finally start to feel the impact of their Super Bowl hangover.

Houston Texans at New England Patriots

The Patriots are simply always the team to beat in the AFC, especially when they are playing in Foxborough. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have seemingly moved on from their Opening Night defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs and are ready to make their long run at a sixth Super Bowl title.

Houston head coach Bill O'Brien has already moved on from Tom Savage at quarterback and given the position to rookie Deshaun Watson. The former Clemson star was under center in Week 2, and he helped the Texans secure their first win of the season at Cincinnati.

Watson is a brilliant athlete who developed excellent skills during his college career with the Tigers, and he knows how to win games. However, he will likely need more experience before he wins regularly in the NFL.

Winning in Cincinnati is one thing, beating the Patriots on their home turf is quite another. The oddsmakers don't give the Texans much of a chance as Brady and the Patriots are 13-point favorites. The total in this game is 43.5 points.

Look for the Texans to make a respectable show of it in this game. Watson has gained the starting position because he can compete against top teams. He led Clemson to a national championship victory against a seemingly unbeatable Alabama team, and he is not going to be intimidated by the Patriots.

While the Texans won't win, they will stay within the spread, and the two teams will go over the total.