NFL Week 3 Predictions: Initial Vegas Odds, Lines, Spreads and Projections

The outlook for would-be NFL bettors doesn't look any easier as the schedule turns to Week 3.

Last week started on an ominous note. Following a tough Week 1 littered with upsets, the Cincinnati Bengals managed to cover a six-point spread on the road against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football before the Sunday slate again featured upsets and unpredictable results.

The budding trend only figures to continue as things pick up again Thursday for what appears to be a coin flip of a game between rebuilding Florida residents Miami and Jacksonville.

Here's a look at the full slate of games with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, plus projections with winners against the spread bolded.

NFL Week 3 Point Odds and Predictions

Miami at Jacksonville (-2.5) | O/U 45

Chicago at Atlanta (-3) | O/U 47

LA Rams at Buffalo (-3) | O/U 46

Washington at Cleveland (-6.5) | O/U 44.5

Tennessee (-1.5) at Minnesota | O/U 45

Las Vegas at New England (n/a) | O/U n/a

San Francisco (-4) at NY Giants | O/U 42

Cincinnati at Philadelphia (-6.5) | O/U 46

Houston at Pittsburgh (-5.5) | O/U 45

NY Jets at Indianapolis (-9.5) | O/U 44.5

Carolina at LA Chargers | O/U n/a

Detroit at Arizona (-6) | O/U 53

Dallas at Seattle (n/a) | O/U n/a

Tampa Bay (-6) at Denver | O/U 43.5

Green Bay at New Orleans (-3.5) | O/U n/a

Kansas City at Baltimore (-3) | O/U 52.5

Washington at Cleveland

Daniel Kucin Jr./Associated Press

Unfortunately for Browns fans, Baker Mayfield and Co. might be a pretty solid pick to bet against each week this year.

The Browns opened the season with a 38-6 loss at the hands of Baltimore and then turned around on a short week and could only pick up a five-point win over the rebuilding Bengals, despite a rookie passer attempting 61 passes.

Cleveland might be 1-1, but Baker Mayfield has completed just 59.7 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions, and the team as a whole has already committed 16 penalties.

Mayfield might have even more problems in Week 3 against a Washington team with 2020 No. 2 overall pick Chase Young—as well as guys like Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat—getting after him on every down. Washington stunned Philadelphia in Week 1, 27-17, behind eight sacks of Carson Wentz and two interceptions while holding the Philadelphia ground game to 3.4 yards per carry.

In Week 2, Washington lost to Arizona, 30-15, yet the ground game proved competent (5.1 yards per carry) and Young again put on a show with one sack and two tackles for loss. And at this rate, it might be time to loop Young in heavily when thinking about lines:

So far, would-be bettors have seen Mayfield tested once to not-so-pretty results. A 6.5-point spread here looks exploitable.

Prediction: Washington 30, Cleveland 27

New York Jets at Indianapolis 

Zach Bolinger/Associated Press

If not the Browns, would-be bettors might want to keep an eye on the New York Jets.

Jets coach Adam Gase could already be on the hot seat after an 0-2 start. His team got trounced in Week 1, 27-17 by the Buffalo Bills as Josh Allen threw for 300-plus yards and two touchdowns. By comparison, Sam Darnold managed to complete 21 of his 35 attempts with one touchdown and interception.

Somehow, Week 2 was even worse.

Darnold and Co. welcomed the San Francisco 49ers to town, and while the starter threw a touchdown with no picks, the Jets got whipped 31-13 as 49ers ball-carriers drummed up 182 yards and two touchdowns on a 6.3 average.

Reactions were consistently on this sort of theme:

Call it good news for the Indianapolis Colts, a team that bounced back from an 0-1 start and a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars despite 363 passing yards from Philip Rivers by trouncing the Minnesota Vikings, 28-11.

There, Rivers threw for 214 yards with a touchdown and interception while his ground game carried it 40 times for 151 yards and his team forced three turnovers while holding the ball for 38:25. 

So far, New York's rebuilding efforts around Darnold just aren't showing up on the field, and it's hard to imagine that changes in Week 3 with Rivers getting comfortable in his new surroundings.

Prediction: Indianapolis 35, New York 20

Miami at Jacksonville

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The in-state collision Thursday night seems to feature two teams heading in dramatically different directions.

Which isn't to say the directions were expected.

Miami looked like the big rebuilder heading the right way after securing Tua Tagovailoa in the NFL draft. Instead, the Dolphins are 0-2. Week 1 shuttered any idea the AFC East had a new hierarchy as the Dolphins went down 21-11 at the hands of Cam Newton and the New England Patriots, while veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed three interceptions.

And Week 2 was a little better, at least offensively as Fitzpatrick tossed a pair of scores. But he couldn't overcome a leaky defense that let up four passing touchdowns in a 31-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills. That defense looks mightily exploitable on a weekly basis.

Before the season, it looked like Jacksonville was tanking. And maybe that was the goal, but quarterback Gardner Minshew II has had other plans. He popped off for a 19-of-20 line with three touchdowns in a Week 1 win over Indianapolis, then turned around in Week 2 and threw for three more touchdowns in a 33-30 loss to the Tennessee  Titans.

It wasn't enough to win, but the play kept the Jaguars right in the race with the Titans the whole way.

Pinning wagers on the back of Minshew carrying his team was not expected, right? While Miami has rightfully received praise for its rebuilding strategy, the results aren't there on the field just yet.

On paper, it's pretty clear Jacksonville at home is an easy one to count on at a time when there isn't much simple about NFL odds.

Prediction: Jacksonville 27, Miami 20