Well, the NFL landscape has certainly been changed following an injury-riddled slate of games last week. The Saints and Steelers have seemingly had their seasons ended, Carolina might need to seriously start considering life beyond Cam Newton, and the Bills and 49ers are both 2-0 after two road games to start the season. There are plenty more story lines this week, including the game of the week when Baltimore travels to Arrowhead to play the Chiefs. The Miami Tanks are fully committed to the art of literally not trying to win (did anyone else see that running back physically duck away from a pass?) so much so that there is a prop bet on who will score more touchdowns in Dallas this week, the Cowboys defense or the Tanks offense. That’s absurd. Equally absurd, this is the first time there are multiple teams favored by more than 20 points (Dallas is a 21.5 point favorite and New England is a 22.5 point favorite against the New York Mono-nucleoli). So, with that all being said, lets get to the Week 3 game picks!
P.S. I’m very pleased that Kansas City showed they literally only need one quarter to absolutely pummel that sorry excuse for a team over there in Oakland. Glad we never have to play in that dump ever again.
Lay The Points, Lock It In
Dallas Cowboys (-23)
Look. It’s a TON of points. However, Miami is so committed to tanking and the player morale is so incredibly low, that their offense just won’t score any points. Pair that with Dak Prescott trying to make his contract even more lucrative with a blowout win, and you’ve got the recipe for another 30+ point margin of victory. I mean really, what’re the Tanks going to do that’ll make them competitive? Until Miami proves they at the very least want to have some pride and do something productive, they’re going to be the worst team in NFL history and it won’t even be close.
LA Rams (-3)
The Rams have a chance to take control of the NFC playoff picture early. With the Saints missing Drew Brees and the entire NFC South imploding, it’ll be a two horse race between the Rams and I believe Dallas for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Sure, Cleveland took a step forward against the Jets, but they didn’t look like the potential playoff contenders they should’ve. Baker made some poor decisions, and outside of the Odell Beckham catch and run, the offense didn’t look all that explosive. The Rams should win this game by a touchdown at least.
Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)
Kyler Murray isn’t getting the praise he deserves for the performances he’s had so far this year. Kingsbury and Murray have brought new life to what’s been years of stagnant offense in the desert, including reviving Larry Fitzgerald. They’re playing at home against a crumbling Panthers team, who is without Cam Newton, and has just been abysmal offensively. No receivers have shown the ability to step up, and if Arizona can stack the box, that should be enough to neutralize Christian McCaffrey. I don’t expect this to be a high scoring affair by any means, but Carolina is in shambles right now and Arizona is playing with confidence.
Take the Points, Make Money
Washington Redskins (+4)
The Bears deserve to be 0-2 and Trubisky can’t lead the offense to anything. He threw for a dismal 120 yards against a lack luster defense in Denver, and really got bailed out at the end of that game. Washington is a little beat up, but I really see them playing inspired football at home. Unlike Chicago, they seem to have a plan on offense and their defense isn’t horrible. They have two close losses to divisional opponents, so they’re in line for a bounce back win. This will be a low scoring affair, and if the Redskins can keep it close, I think the 4 points will be enough.
New York Giants (+6)
Tampa Bay is absolutely horrible on the offensive side of the football. Jameis Winston is totally erratic with the ball, turning it over at a ridiculous clip. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that there’s been no serious thought to replace him. I think the Giants are going to play inspired football behind newly anointed starter Daniel Jones, and they’ll be gifted a turnover or two from Tampa Bay I’m sure. Saquon Barkley is more than capable of controlling the game, and prevent it from being a shootout. It’s going to be an ugly game, but the touchdown advantage I think will allow New York to cover.
Houston Texans (+3)
Houston is one Wil Lutz career long field goal away from being 2-0 this season. They’re one of the better teams in the AFC and are starting to get fully healthy. If they can keep DeShaun Watson upright, a task that will be a little bit easier against a banged up Chargers defense and the signing of new left tackle Laremy Tunsil, their offense is one of the best in the NFL. The defense has been relatively stout, even with the departure of Clowney so they’ll be in the game. Los Angeles has shown they have no ability to stop shooting themselves in the foot. They scored twice last week on the same drive against Detroit, only to have it negated by penalties, AND THEN fumbled the ball on the goal line that same drive. Whatever clutch gene Rivers used to possess, it seems to be fading now.
College Bonus Picks
The Kansas Jayhawks are back baby!! Delivering a 48-24 thumping to Boston College, the momentum is back in Lawrence. The Booth is going to be electric on Saturday as they host West Virginia, and I believe there’s a good chance my Jayhawks can start the conference schedule off on the right foot. Clemson also took care of business, destroying Syracuse 41-6. While Trevor Lawrence has scuffled a bit out of the gate, the running game behind Travis Etienne has flourished. They essentially have a bye this week against lowly Charlotte. They’ll roll on to 3-0. For the majority of my selections, check out my season tally on Twitter (@Rellihan51), but since I love my readers (seriously thanks to anyone who reads every week, hit me up on Twitter for a follow and any questions!) here are some more bonus picks!
- Washington State (-18.5)
- Iowa State (-18.5)
- Tennessee (+14)
- North Carolina (-3)
- Louisville (+6.5)
- Temple (-14)
- Wyoming (+3.5)
- Pillow Fight Game of the Week: UTSA +19 vs North Texas Mean Green
That’s everything for my Week 3 Game Picks! Don’t forget to check out my Start/Sit column every week as well. Hopefully everyone has had a profitable season so far. As usual, hit me up on Twitter to keep the conversation going, and best of luck to everyone’s team this week.
Nick Rellihan (@Rellihan51)
