Another week of NFL action is here, which means more surprises are surely in store. The first two weeks, after all, already gave us the Chargers slipping to 0-2, the Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers leaping to 2-0 and unheralded players like Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua emerging as reliable play-makers. How, then, can you be sure to wager on the right teams in Week 3?
As we do every week, we’ve collected all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine and put them in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more. Ready? Let’s jump in.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Which picks can you make with confidence in Week 3? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up almost $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks.
Titans at Browns
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Browns -4.5, O/U 41
“Mike Vrabel as an underdog is a really good bet over the last several years and he’s already 2-0 ATS as a dog this year and 1-1 (nearly 2-0) straight up in the same spot. Cleveland’s defense is good, but the Steelers had some explosive plays against them. The Titans won’t risk it quite as much and will likely feed Derrick Henry more. He’ll be better than Najee Harris. There’s also the shock factor of Nick Chubb here — the Steelers didn’t run a single offensive play in the red zone on Monday night and won the game. That’s pretty rare! Vrabel, meanwhile, believes he can make the playoffs and this is a prime spot to steal a win.”
That’s CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson, buying Tennessee as a road underdog. Check out all his Week 3 picks right here.
Falcons at Lions
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Lions -5.5, O/U 45.5
SportsLine expert Alex “PropStarz” Selesnick is all about identifying smart prop bets, going 42-28 on prop picks during the 2022 season. After combing through hundreds of available NFL player props for Week 3, he’s found his next target: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who’s helped propel Atlanta’s 2-0 start and should go Over 69.5 yards (-115) in Detroit.
Check out of all of Selesnick’s top bets for this game, plus other matchups in Week 3, right here at SportsLine.
Saints at Packers
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Packers -2.5, O/U 43
“My lean would be the Green Bay Packers. I would disagree with the Jordan Love sentiment; I was high on him coming into the year, but I don’t think he looked very good last week. But I think he’s gonna be better. It was a solid day for them (against Atlanta) when you take into account injuries, missing Aaron Jones and Christian Watson. Their defense couldn’t stop the elite running game of Atlanta, but New Orleans’ running backs are awful with Jamaal Williams hurt. It’s gonna be on Derek Carr to engineer the offense and score points if Jordan Love gets these guys back and is able to score some points. New Orleans is still taking too many short field goals. I would love Green Bay in this spot if not for the injuries.”
That’s SportsLine expert R.J. White, who’s cautiously optimistic about the Packers covering at home. Listen to more of his analysis, plus other expert insight, on the “Pick Six NFL Podcast” right here.
Broncos at Dolphins
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Dolphins -5.5, O/U 45.5
SportsLine expert Larry Hartstein knows a thing or two about acing big-game bets, tying for 52nd out of almost 1,600 entries in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, while also racking up a 40-28-1 record making weekly best bets since the start of 2022. Now he’s back with a confident bet on Denver’s effort to avoid an 0-3 start: “Getting on the road could be the best thing for Sean Payton and Russell Wilson after dealing with huge expectations at home,” Hartstein told SportsLine.
Catch his full breakdown of this key Week 3 matchup, plus other ATS bets, right here at SportsLine.
Chargers at Vikings
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Chargers -2, O/U 50.5
“Through two weeks, the Chargers have given up more passing yards than any team in the NFL, and now, they have to face the team that has arguably the best wide receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson. I’m not sure what the NFL record is for receiving yards in a game, but Jefferson might get it in one quarter against the Chargers. … This game feels like a shootout waiting to happen with the Vikings only winning after the Chargers invent another impossible way to lose. If the Chargers do lose this game and drop to 0-3, Brandon Staley’s hot seat is going to be the same temperature as the surface of the sun.”
That’s CBS Sports NFL writer John Breech, who’s siding with the home team. Catch all his Week 3 bets right here.
Patriots at Jets
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Patriots -2, O/U 38
“I know it’s only Week 3, but it does feel like New England’s season hangs in the balance. They are 0-2 for the first time since 2001 and if they have any shot of playing meaningful games in December, they’ll need to get in the win column. Fortunately for them, they get a Jets team that doesn’t have Aaron Rodgers under center, but Zach Wilson. Bill Belichick has had his way with the young QB throughout his career, owning a perfect 4-0 record against him, forcing Wilson into seven interceptions with a 50.6 passer rating. New York’s defense will be a challenge for Mac Jones and the Patriots offense, but they are capable of putting up points (and could even get some from the defense). New England also has a 5-0 ATS record in their last five meetings against the Jets.”
CBS Sports NFL writer and resident Patriots expert Tyler Sullivan may not love New England as a contender, but he’s confident in this team handing the Jets their 15th straight loss in this rivalry. Check out all of Sullivan’s picks right here.
Bills at Commanders
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bills -6, O/U 44.5
“The Commanders are 2-0 and coming off an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Broncos on the road. The Bills got back on track last week against the Raiders, but this is a tough challenge for Josh Allen and especially his offensive line. Even so, I look for the Bills to go in and win a tight one.”
CBS Sports senior columnist Pete Prisco foresees a close one here, but he likes the AFC contender to come out on top. Check out all of Prisco’s ATS picks for the Week 3 slate right here.
Texans at Jaguars
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Jaguars -7.5, O/U 44.5
Texans rookie C.J. Stroud is winning over many of those who tune into Houston’s rebuilding campaign, and he’ll have a chance to earn his first NFL win in Jacksonville, where the Jags are coming off a sluggish defeat to the Chiefs, in which they repeatedly failed to capitalize on red-zone chances. Is it time to bet against Trevor Lawrence and Co.? Not so fast, according to R.J. White, who went 535-450-30 as SportsLine’s No. 1 NFL expert from 2017-2022. “Houston may get back a safety for this game but will likely be down two corners in Derek Stingley and excellent slot corner Tavierre Thomas,” he says. “I expect another 30-point game from the Jaguars offense here, and I don’t see Houston keeping up.”
R.J. has the Jaguars as one of his top contest picks for Week 3, and you can find all of his analysis at SportsLine right here.
Colts at Ravens
Time: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Ravens -8.5, O/U 44.5
The SportsLine simulation model forecasts every NFL game 10,000 times and is up more than $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. It also enters Week 3 on a 164-117 run dating back to 2017. This week, we can reveal one part of a five-team parlay bet: the model says Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (-8) cover at home with ease, winning in almost 60% of simulations and making them one of its strongest Week 3 NFL picks. Check out the full breakdown at SportsLine right here.
Panthers at Seahawks
Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS), stream on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Seahawks -4.5, O/U 42
“Our top teaser option last week in the Bills had no trouble covering the full spread, but the rest of the teaser board was a minefield. The ideal second legs were the 49ers, saving all bettors from Sean McVay’s useless last-second field goal, or the Steelers, who won outright. … This week, you may see the Seahawks as -6 and think that’s a solid teaser option, but I’d avoid that number when building teasers. Even at the -120 price we stress you get for teasers, you have to beat 54.5% probability to cash, which means each leg has to have roughly a 74% chance of hitting. That translates to about a -285 on each leg, and if you compare that number to the Seahawks moneyline at -6, you’ll see you get a much better return on your investment by going that route, while the -285 price is more what you’ll find on -6.5 teams.”
SportsLine expert R.J. White likes Seattle to cover, but he’s hesitant to crown them a top teaser option for Week 3. Check out his full ATS analysis of this week’s action over at SportsLine.
Bears at Chiefs
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Chiefs -11.5, O/U 49.5
“Justin Fields and Co. could regroup and come out fighting, or things could get worse under Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy. I think Sunday is going to be more of a celebration for Chiefs fans as they welcome the returns of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, who both missed the season opener. On the subject of Fields, he definitely has an internal clock issue and is not throwing to open wide receivers. But on top of that, his offensive line hasn’t been consistent and left tackle Braxton Jones just got placed on injured reserve. I think the biggest problem, however, is how Fields is being used. … (He) isn’t polished and certainly has some work to do, but in my opinion, saying he’s the problem is a lazy take. Either way, I don’t want to back the Bears right now.”
CBS Sports NFL writer Jordan Dajani is all over Kansas City to take care of business. Find all his Week 3 bets right here.
Cowboys at Cardinals
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Cowboys -10.5, O/U 42.5
Week 2 for Dallas saw Tony Pollard and CeeDee Lamb emerge as the “alpha” back and pass target, respectively, in Mike McCarthy’s offense, according to CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson. Which is exactly why SportsLine expert Alex “PropStarz” Selesnick likes Lamb to go Over 69.5 yards against Arizona, which has been “a significant pass funnel” while touting a reasonable run defense to start 2023. Check out their full breakdown of this matchup on the “Pick Six NFL Podcast” right here.
Raiders at Steelers
Time: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Steelers -1.5, O/U 43.5
CBS Sports Fantasy and gambling editor R.J. White, who’s on a 107-80-6 run with ATS picks, also has a true pulse on the Steelers, going 55-28-4 in his last 87 picks involving Pittsburgh. Who does he like here? He’s well aware Pittsburgh is No. 3 in the NFL with nine sacks and No. 4 in the league with 18 quarterback hits. White also knows Las Vegas is the only team in the NFL to not allow a sack so far this season, moving the chains on 44.4% of third-down chances. We can tell you he’s leaning Over for this prime-time showdown, but you’ll have to head over to SportsLine for his complete ATS pick right here.
Eagles at Buccaneers
Time: Monday, 7:15 p.m. ET (ABC), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Eagles -6.5, O/U 45.5
Micah Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20-plus years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos’ book director. He’s also an expert in the field of the Buccaneers, going 16-6-1 (+940) on his last 23 picks involving Tampa Bay. So where is he going in this matchup, with Jalen Hurts and Co. coming off a long break but struggling to find a steady offensive rhythm during their 2-0 start? Is Baker Mayfield actually worth backing to help the Bucs continue their hot start? You’ll wanna head over to SportsLine for Roberts’ full breakdown and ATS analysis, right here.
Rams at Bengals
Time: Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Bengals -6.5, O/U 46.5
R.J. White, a SportsLine expert and CBS gambling editor, is 51-35-4 in his last 88 picks involving the Bengals, returning almost $1,200 to bettors. Now he’s got a handle on Cincy’s prime-time date with the Rams, a rematch of the 2021 Super Bowl. The Bengals are hoping that star quarterback Joe Burrow can recover from a calf injury in time to play. But if Jake Browning has to start, Cincinnati still has weapons to attack. Then again, L.A. has seen several youngsters emerge as true play-makers for Matthew Stafford. We can tell you R.J. is leaning Over the total here, but you can find his full ATS prediction at SportsLine right here.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
September 22, 2023 | 1:25 pm
