NFL Picks Week 3: 5 Favorites Who Are Locks to Cover the Spread

With week three of the NFL just around the corner, now is the time to place your bets and see which five teams are locks to cover the spread.

Some of the riskier lines that you should stay away from are the New England versus Buffalo game, the New Orleans versus Houston game and the Tampa Bay versus Atlanta game.

However, here is a list of five teams that are locks to cover the spread on Sunday.

5. New York Jets -3.5 to the Oakland Raiders

I honestly do not know why the New York Jets are only a 3.5-point favorite over the Oakland Raiders.

Sure, the Raiders played a tough game in Buffalo last weekend, but that was against the Bills who still have a lot to prove.

As of Week 3, the Jets have the ninth-ranked rush defense, and they will be motivated to put a stop to all of this "Darren McFadden hype" that is circulating throughout the league. On top of that, the Jets also have the 11th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. That does not bode well for Jason Campbell and the sub-par group of Raiders wide receivers.

The only thing the Raiders have going for them is that the game will be played in the friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum. However, I don't think that will make much of a difference in the end.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers -10.5 to the Indianapolis Colts

I know, 10.5 points is a lot, and I can understand why you might be a little hesitant.

However, as you might have heard, Peyton Manning is likely out for the season and won't be the quarterback under center against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sadly, Manning's absence will expose how valuable he was to the Colts as they won't stand a chance against the Steelers defense.

Pittsburgh has the fourth-ranked pass defense in the NFL, which should be enough to scare the Kerry Collins and the rest of the Colts passing attack.

3. Arizona Cardinals -3.5 to the Seattle Seahawks

It won't matter that the Arizona Cardinals will be traveling up to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks. This will be the week that the Seahawks will be unanimously deemed the worst team in the NFL.

Tarvaris Jackson is not an NFL quarterback, and he doesn't have the surrounding cast on offense to help veil his weaknesses. The Seahawks come in with the 31st-worst offense in the NFL, and we shouldn't expect them to get any better until the return of injured wide receiver Sidney Rice. However, you can't help but wonder how much he'll even be able to help the Seahawks offense.

Playing at Qwest Field does help the Seahawks chances, but the Cardinals should win by a much larger margin.

2. Baltimore Ravens -3.5 to the St. Louis Rams

This isn't necessarily a knock on the St. Louis Rams, but rather the fact that the Baltimore Ravens will be a team seeking revenge in Week 3.

The Ravens are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans last week, a team that they should have beaten handily.

With this being said, it's safe to say that St. Louis fans aren't looking forward to this matchup.

Not only does Baltimore have a stifling defense that has the ability to shut anyone down, but their offense is becoming more respected around the league.

With Sam Bradford and Stephen Jackson a little banged up, expect the Ravens to win by more than 3.5 points against the Rams.

1. Detroit Lions -3.5 to the Minnesota Vikings

My fifth and final lock to cover the spread is the Detroit Lions.

Even though everyone is now jumping on the bandwagon, I saw this coming a couple a years ago. Matthew Stafford is a legitimate quarterback, who has yet to prove himself in the NFL due to injuries. However, Stafford has stayed healthy the first two games of the season—I know, shocker—and the Lions are showing everyone what they are truly capable of.

Oh, and don't forget about Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley on defense. The Lions are filled with young, talented players throughout their roster, and they will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings are going in the complete opposite direction as the Lions. Donovan McNabb hasn't looked like the quarterback he once was, and I don't know if Adrian Peterson will be able to carry the team on his back for much longer.

Minnesota's 21st-ranked defense will be matching up against Detroit's eighth-ranked offense, so expect the Lions to have no problem in trying to cover the spread.