Week 3 NFL Picks: Predictions, Advice for Latest Vegas Spreads, Odds and Props

The Pittsburgh Steelers may be difficult to contain this season. The trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown has been spectacular and consistent over the years, and the Steelers have a couple of other options that complement those players.

Martavis Bryant is a big-play receiver who has the size, route-running ability and skill to make big plays. He is averaging 21.0 yards per reception through the first two games of the season. Tight end Jesse James has 10 receptions, and two of them have been for touchdowns.

The Steelers came through with a sharp effort in Week 2 at home against the Minnesota Vikings after struggling quite a bit in their opener before outlasting the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh goes to Soldier Field on Sunday to take on the Chicago Bears, and that team appears to be quite limited again this season.

Chicago is a team in transition, seemingly waiting for rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to take the reins from Mike Glennon. The incumbent starter struggles to find open receivers, takes too long to get the ball out of his hand and lacks accuracy.

Trubisky outplayed Glennon by quite a margin during the preseason, and one has to wonder how long head coach John Fox is willing to wait.

The Bears play a Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers after hosting the Steelers and have a bye week before hosting the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6. Some in Chicago, including Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, that Trubisky could take over prior to that game.

The Steelers are seven-point favorites over the Bears, according to OddsShark. They have an aggressive defense that is likely to put quite a bit of pressure on Glennon. If that pressure results in a couple of early turnovers, a one-sided Pittsburgh win is likely.

Even if that doesn't happen, the skill level on the Steelers is simply too high. Look for Pittsburgh to win and cover on the road against a Chicago team that doesn't have the skill level to compete against an elite opponent.

Matchup, Line, Over/Under, Prediction

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, LAR -2.5/39.5, 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 -3/50.5, Detroit/Over

Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Even/40.5, Indianapolis/Under

Houston Texans at New England Patriots, New England -13.5/44, Houston*/Over

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, Miami -6/42, 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 -3/47.5, Kansas City/Over

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

Oakland Raiders at Washington Redskins, Oakland -3/55, Washington/Over

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

*Will cover the spread but fail to win the game.

Odds according to OddsShark.

Houston Texans at New England Patriots

The Houston Texans have handed their offense to prized rookie Deshaun Watson, and head coach Bill O'Brien knows the quarterback will get tested this week when the Texans head to Foxborough, Massachusetts, to take on the defending Super Bowl champions.

After a poor showing by previous starter Tom Savage in Week 1, O'Brien swallowed hard and gave Watson the start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Watson had some difficulties, but he did enough (125 passing yards, 49-yard TD run) to lead the team to a win over an opponent that is struggling badly on offense.

The New England Patriots rebounded from their Week 1 loss with a 36-point effort and a victory over the New Orleans Saints. However, it's too early to say the Pats have found their form and that signal-caller Tom Brady and the offense will play well on an every-week basis.

The Saints have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and the Texans have one of the best. When it comes to individual talent, players like J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus put Houston near the top of the league.

New England's Rob Gronkowski injured his groin in Week 2, and while the big tight end labeled the injury as "nothing serious," according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe, groin issues can be tricky. Additionally, Gronkowski's injury history may give head coach Bill Belichick reason to pause when it comes to giving him a full workload.

The Patriots are already contending with Julian Edelman's season-ending ACL injury and Danny Amendola's knee and concussion issues, so the offense may not be ready to claim prime-time status just yet. Amendola returned to practice Wednesday, per McBride.

New England is a whopping 13.5-point favorite, and that seems too heavy. The team's defense has not hit its stride yet, and Watson was a proven winner throughout his college career and performed exceptionally against top opponents. He is not going to be intimidated by the Patriots, a team that is allowing 31.0 points per game through the first two contests.

Look for Houston to play competitive football and keep the margin inside the 13.5-point spread.

Prop Bet

Thursday's meeting between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers offers prop bettors a chance to make several wagers on the game in addition to the standard point spread and over/under bets.

One of those props is whether either team will have three consecutive scores. This happens with great frequency in the NFL because the game often involves surges by either team that may result in a touchdown, a field goal and another touchdown or field goal before the opponent wakes up and joins the battle.

Bettors who believe there will be three straight scores must risk $145 to win $100, while those who don't can risk $100 to win $125, according to OddsShark.

Go with the more profitable "no" side of the equation. Neither the Rams nor the 49ers have high-level offensive teams, and don't expect either team to run away from the other at any point in this game.

This will be a low-scoring game, with both sides exchanging field goals throughout.