NFL Week 3 Picks: Odds, Prop Bets and Predictions Before Thursday Night

The Minnesota Vikings were on their heels through much of their NFL Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Playing on the road, it would have been easy for Mike Zimmer's team to capitulate and give up control of the NFC North to the Packers.

However, even though Aaron Rodgers was having a solid day and Minnesota had to play from behind, the Vikings came all the way back to tie the score in the final minute of the fourth quarter with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

While they could not win the game in overtime, the Vikings didn't lose and they walked out of Green Bay with a 29-29 tie. It may not have been satisfying for either team, but earning a tie on the road may be the reason Minnesota wins the division.

This week, they get a seemingly much easier assignment as they host the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings are 17-point favorites, according to OddsShark.

It's unusual when a team is that much of a favorite this early in the season, but that does not mean the Vikings are just going to step over the Bills. They have much to work on, and a powerful team takes on a game like this and shows off its strength and talent in memorable fashion.

It will start with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who looks like a Super Bowl-worthy quarterback at this point. He has a 6-1 TD-interception ratio and appears to be playing with superior motivation. That's not surprising considering the Washington Redskins could have committed to him but never did.

In addition to Cousins, Minnesota has a game-breaking running back in Dalvin Cook and two superb wide receivers in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Tight end Kyle Rudolph may not be in the same category as Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce, but he fits the Vikings offense perfectly.

As good as the offense is, the defense is even better. Free safety Harrison Smith is a likely All-Pro, and the Vikings have a pair of stud defensive ends in Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. 

The Bills have a gifted rookie at quarterback in Josh Allen, but he is not accomplished at this point. They don't appear to have enough talent to threaten the Minnesota defense, but LeSean McCoy is still a versatile player although he is not likely to be at his best due to a rib injury.

The Vikings are 17-point favorites, and they should have that spread covered in the second quarter. They win this game by 20 points or more.

Week 3 Point Spreads and Predictions

Thursday, September 20

New York Jets at Cleveland (-3) (Over/Under: 39); Jets 27, Browns 23

Sunday, September 23

Buffalo at Minnesota (-17) (O/U: 41); Vikings 38, Bills 10

Cincinnati at Carolina (-3) (O/U: 43.5); Panthers 17, Bengals 16

Denver at Baltimore (-5) (O/U: 43); Ravens 24, Broncos 23

Green Bay (-3) at Washington (O/U: 46); Redskins 28, Packers 23

Indianapolis at Philadelphia (-6) (O/U: 47.5); Eagles 24, Colts 17

New York Giants at Houston (-6) (O/U: 41.5); Texans 23, Giants 13

New Orleans at Atlanta (-3) (O/U: 53); Falcons 30, Saints 23

Oakland at Miami (-3) (O/U: 44); Raiders 17, Dolphins 16

San Francisco at Kansas City (-6.5) (O/U: 56); Chiefs 31, 49ers 28

Tennessee at Jacksonville (-6.5) (O/U: 39.5); Jaguars 20, Titans 10

Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams (-6.5) (O/U: 48); Rams 17, Chargers 12

Chicago (-4) at Arizona (O/U: 40 NL); Bears 23, Cardinals 17

Dallas at Seattle (-3) (O/U: 44.5); Seahawks 16, Cowboys 12

New England (-6.5) at Detroit (O/U: 51.5); Patriots 30, Lions 17

Monday, September 24

Pittsburgh (-2) at Tampa Bay (O/U: 53.5); Buccaneers 33, Steelers 24

Odds provided by OddsShark

Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals

The Chicago Bears and their fans have been suffering for years.

Head coaches Marc Trestman and John Fox failed at providing an adequate game plan or leadership, and double-digit loss seasons became commonplace for the former Monsters of the Midway.

Chicago seemed to have some talent on defense last year with Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman on the defensive line and a promising defensive back in Eddie Jackson. However, what defensive coordinator Vic Fangio lacked was a dominating superstar who would make everyone on the defense better.

The Bears didn't have that player until late in the preseason when they acquired Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders. That move has transformed a good defense into one of the best in the league.

Chicago added plenty of offensive talent in the offseason when it brought in wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel along with tight end Trey Burton. It already had a solid running back in Jordan Howard, and the only thing the offense needs is some growth from second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

While the Bears have improved, the Arizona Cardinals have stumbled. They have lost their first two games in non-competitive fashion, and Sam Bradford has not been able to spark the offense. 

The Bears are coming off a solid Monday night win over the Seattle Seahawks, and while they have a short week and must travel, they should be able to dominate with their defense in the desert and improve their record to 2-1.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 42-37 defeat at home to the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Tampa Bay Bucs have won their first two games in high-scoring fashion over the New Orleans Saints and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

While we are not ready to write off the Steelers or crown the Bucs just yet, Pittsburgh looks like a team with issues and the Bucs are focused on winning the battle on every play.

The Steelers have key defensive issues, and they are exacerbated by the absence of Le'Veon Bell. When he is in the lineup and playing well, he is the best running back in football. Backup James Conner is doing a good job while Bell holds out, but Pittsburgh cannot play its best game without him. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick is coming off back-to-back four-TD games with the Bucs, and he is not likely to back off. Starting quarterback Jameis Winston will return from his suspension in Week 4, but Fitzpatrick will not want to give up his position just yet.

This will be a high-scoring game, and the teams will soar past the 53.5-point total early in the fourth quarter.

Prop bet

While proposition bets are popular in the postseason and create huge interest prior to the Super Bowl, they are not as common during the regular season.

However, they can be found, and one of the more interesting props is the first touchdown scorer in several different games.

For this bet, we are looking at the Thursday night game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns are trying to win a game for the first time since the 2016 season, while the Jets want to return to the form that saw them punish the Detroit Lions in the season opener.

We think the Jets have enough talent to win this game, but will they have the first TD scorer?

Oddschecker lists Cleveland running back Carlos Hyde as the favorite to score the first touchdown at 7-1, and Cleveland wideout Jarvis Landry follows at 8-1. Jets running back Isaiah Crowell, wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and running back Bilal Powell are all listed at 10-1.

Five players, including David Njoku, Rashard Higgins, Duke Johnson, Antonio Callaway and Robby Anderson, are listed at 12-1.

We are going to ignore all the favorites and go with the Jets defense at 20-1 to score the first touchdown. If they can pressure Tyrod Taylor into an interception or a key fumble early in the game, this prop has a good chance of winning.