Week 3 NFL Picks: Predictions for Sunday's Games, Odds Guide and Over/Under Tips

In a continuation of a theme to start the NFL season, Week 3 has already been a difficult one for would-be bettors. 

Things went awry on Thursday Night Football, where the favored Jacksonville Jaguars went down in unpredictable fashion to the struggling Miami Dolphins, 31-13. 

That's fitting, as the season to date has been anything but predictable. The remaining Week 3 lines, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, don't figure to be any easier. 

Here's a look at a full odds guide, with projections and picks against the spread in bold. 

NFL Week 3 Point Odds and Predictions

Chicago at Atlanta (-3.5) | O/U 47

LA Rams at Buffalo (-1.5) | O/U 46

Washington at Cleveland (-7.5) | O/U 44.5

Tennessee (-3) at Minnesota | O/U 45

Las Vegas at New England (-6) | O/U 47

San Francisco (-3.5) at NY Giants | O/U 42

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

Houston at Pittsburgh (-5) | O/U 45

NY Jets at Indianapolis (-11.5) | O/U 44.5

Carolina at LA Chargers (-6.5) | O/U 43.5

Detroit at Arizona (-5.5) | O/U 53

Dallas at Seattle (-5) | O/U 57

Tampa Bay (-5.5) at Denver | O/U 43.5

Green Bay at New Orleans (-3) | O/U 53

Kansas City at Baltimore (-3.5) | O/U 54

Tennessee (-3) at Minnesota

Wade Payne/Associated Press

The Minnesota Vikings get the courtesy of home-field advantage to make this line respectable for Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans. 

But that's about it. 

The Vikings have been an unexpected flop to start the season, starting 0-2 after a blowout loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers (43-34) and an unexpected hiccup against the Indianapolis Colts (28-11). 

To date, Kirk Cousins has completed just 58.8 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions while taking five sacks, with the lack of Stefon Diggs spacing the offense serving as one of the most obvious problems. 

Those problems might not get any better against a Titans team with Derrick Henry in the backfield. He's bruised his way to 200 yards on 56 carries and could feast against a Vikings defense that ranks last in time of possession. Even if he isn't putting up big numbers, he's opened things up for Ryan Tannehill, who has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and no interceptions during his team's 2-0 start. 

This unorthodox cross-conference game features one team that mostly has the same roster that propelled it to the AFC title game last season. That about says it all, as the Titans have shown they can sit on the ball and execute in the air when necessary, which should be more than enough against a Vikings team that is 0-2 for the first time in seven years under Mike Zimmer as the defense uncharacteristically struggles and the offense can't get going. 

Prediction: Titans 24, Vikings 17

Cincinnati at Philadelphia (-6.5) 

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Cincinnati Bengals might be a good underdog play for most of the season, as opposed to the obvious weekly pick-against status the 2-14 team had last year. 

Much of the credit goes to rookie passer Joe Burrow, who has completed 61.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions, even helping his team cover the spread in Week 2 against Cleveland (35-30) in a loss by attempting 61 passes. 

That sort of performance should again get it done against a Philadelphia Eagles team that seems outright lost, yet still sits favored by nearly a touchdown. 

The Eagles just have yet to look competitive, to be blunt. Carson Wentz and Co. got blown out in Week 1 by a seemingly rebuilding Washington team 27-17, then turned around and suffered an even worse loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a 37-19 disaster of a home-opener. 

Along the way, Wentz has completed just 58.8 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions while suffering eight sacks (all of which came during Week 1). Even worse, he's going to be missing some key targets with Alshon Jeffery and Jalen Reagor ruled out for Week 3: 

Take note of star defender Fletcher Cox tabbed as questionable there, too, which isn't a great sign of things to come for a unit that hasn't been able to clamp down at all. 

None of this is to say the Eagles can't squeak out a win at home against a rebuilding Bengals team that has had defensive problems of its own and has yet to fully click offensively with a rookie under center. But the Bengals should cover again—if for no other reason than their rookie passer under center doesn't much resemble a rookie who didn't have a preseason. 

Prediction: Eagles 23, Bengals 20

Detroit at Arizona (-5.5)

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

It feels like rolling with Kyler Murray is going to be the weekly play almost regardless of matchup. 

The Arizona Cardinals' star quarterback just looks that good. In a Week 1, 24-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Murray threw for 230 yards with a touchdown and interception, adding 91 yards and a score on the ground while averaging seven yards per carry. He followed that up in Week 2 with another 286 yards with a passing touchdown and pick, adding 67 yards and two scores on an 8.4 per-carry average—that in a 30-15 win over Washington. 

Next up for the Murray show is an 0-2 Detroit Lions team that ranks dead last in the NFL, coughing up an average of 204 rushing yards per game—and star players seem to know the challenge ahead. 

"He's like a punt returner back there," Lions defensive end Trey Flowers said, according to the Associated Press. "Any type of space he has, he takes advantage of it. He makes the most athletic guys miss."

Those Lions figure to have a hard time containing Murray after starting the season with losses to Chicago and Green Bay while recording that putrid rush-defense mark. Matthew Stafford is back under center after an injury-riddled 2019, but he hasn't been able to counteract the defense's struggles, hence the 58.7 completion percentage with three touchdowns and two interceptions. 

At home, an Arizona defense that has only let up 35 points over the first two weeks shouldn't have a problem containing Stafford and an Adrian Peterson-led rushing attack, especially if Murray controls game flow while putting up his usual big numbers. 

Prediction: Cardinals 30, Lions 20