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NFL Preseason Week 3 Predictions, Picks, and Best Bets

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NFL Preseason Week 3 Predictions, Picks, and Best Bets

NFL Preseason Week 3 is upon us, and we’re degen enough to keep betting on the last preseason games. Last week, we hit on three of the five bets, and we’re hoping to cash again. Our preseason total is now 7-3 so we’re in the profit. Just like last week, the preseason can be tricky. We don’t know how long the starters will play. It’s also hard to gauge how the backups are going to do, especially if they play against first-teamers. Let’s take a look at the NFL Preseason Week 3 picks and best bets.

Week 3, the final week of preseason, is the trickiest one to bet. Most of the starters will not be playing. This can make it hard to gauge which team we should be putting our cold, hard cash on. However, there are a few teams that have veterans as backups looking to make roster spots.

Others will have younger players that hope to make the roster. Finally, this is also a job interview for many players in hopes that they get picked up by another team if they get cut.

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NFL Preseason Week 3 Predictions, Picks, and Best Bets

San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders (+9.5)

The first preseason Week 3 game we’re going to take a look at for our picks is the 49ers and the Raiders. This game has seen the most line movement of any game. It opened with the 49ers being a three-point favorite. However, they are now up to 9.5-point favorites.

Given that it was announced that the 49ers were going to get a look at all their starters for the first time this preseason, it makes sense that they’d become heavy favorites. Especially against the Raiders, who are sitting their starters, and will be playing mostly backups.

However, don’t forget that their backup quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, was just named the QB2 after losing a battle to Gardner Minshew. He’s coming in to this game with a huge chip on his shoulder and will likely want to prove something. Despite playing with backups, I think O’Connell could have a nice showing, even if it is limited.

 

The other part of this handicap, aside from the fact that the line moved so much, is that the 49ers likely won’t play their starters all that long. I expect we’ll see a quarter, or maybe just a couple of series, to get the starters some reps and fluidity before their first regular season game. The 49ers have struggled with injuries the past several years and won’t want to risk their starters for too long.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Bet: Raiders +9.5

Miami Dolphins @ Tampa Bay Bucs (-3)

The next NFL Preseason Week 3 game on our picks list features the Florida battle between the Dolphins and the Bucs. This line is the opposite of what we’ve seen from the 49ers’ game. When the 49ers announced their starters would play the line shot up. The Bucs have announced the starters will play and the line went up one-and-a-half points.

The Dolphins are resting their starters. Therefore Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and the starters will face off against backups. While I feel 9.5 points is too high in the 49ers’ game, three points feels too low.

People forget just how good Baker looked last year, leading the Bucs to win the division and to win a playoff game. While they won’t play the entire game, even a quarter against backups should give them a good lead.

There’s also former Florida Gator quarterback Kyle Trask who should see some action. When the Bucs originally brought Mayfield in, he was to compete with Trask. Trask has since been a distant memory. However, he still wants to show he can compete, whether it’s for this team or another.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Bet: Bucs (-3)

 

Carolina Panthers (-2.5) @ Buffalo Bills

The third NFL preseason Week 3 game on our picks list is the Carolina Panthers at the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have had some bad injury luck and have multiple players that will be missing multiple weeks of football. Due to this, they are going to be sitting their starters. Some backups will even sit, such as backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

One player that won’t be sitting is quarterback Ben DiNucci. If you watched any of Ben DiNucci’s time with the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL, he was a gun-slinger. However, he was also a turnover machine. “Everybody eats with Da-Nooch” as XFL (no UFL) Gamling Podcast cohost C.J. Sullivan says.

We don’t know if the Panthers are going to be playing their starters. Head coach Dave Canales wasn’t really clear when asked about it and said that he was open to the starters playing. Given that we haven’t seen much from the starters so far in the preseason, it would make sense that he’d want to get them some reps.

Bryce Young struggled last year and will want to take a jump forward in Year 2, especially with his new weapons. The Panthers added Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, and a handful of other players to help him take the next step. It makes most sense they’d try to get him some confidence against backups before going into the season.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Bet: Panthers (-2.5)

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5)

This matchup is interesting. We don’t know if starters are playing for any team yet. However, when you dig into the matchup battles, one specific injury stands out. That injury is J.J. McCarthy and one of the reasons this matchup is a great NFL Preseason Week 3 game for our picks list.

With J.J. McCarthy sidelined for the season, the Vikings will need to have a backup plan behind Sam Darnold. They currently have Nick Mullens, who looks like he may have the backup job. However, Jaren Hall has been playing well enough to try and make a case for the spot as well. Hall was a draft pick from last year that the Vikings wanted to develop. Perhaps they still can.

Another spot to watch is if Ty Chandler gets to play. Aaron Jones’ stock has actually been dropping because of the hype Chandler has been getting. However, we haven’t been able to get a long look at him as he sat out last week. If the starters don’t play, Chandler could get a healthy workload.

Even if the Eagles play their starters, I don’t expect it will be for very long. They know what they have. If anything they’ll get a series or two before spending the rest of the game on the sidelines. There are more question marks on the Vikings’ roster, which makes them a better pick.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Bet: Vikings +1.5

Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) @ Detroit Lions

The reason this NFL Week 3 preseason game ends up on our picks list should be easy to decipher. There’s a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the quarterback spot isn’t the only position up for debate as the offensive line has been terrible as well. This makes it feel like the younger, more mobile quarterback could win it.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have both shown some good plays and some struggles this preseason. Mike Tomlin stated that the quarterback battle is an incomplete study after a poor showing last week. Their pass-blocking has been really bad as well. Wilson and Fields are both vets that know what is on the line. Both have a chip on their shoulder and both want that starting job. This should lead to a strong performance from the Steelers.

The Lions have shown they are willing to rest their starters. Without a lot of turnover on the offense, there seems to be no reason to trot them out to risk injury to starters. Despite Dan Campbell’s knee-biting mentality, there’s much more at stake for the Steelers. Fantasy football managers, keep an eye on this one, as the results could determine the quarterback position.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Bet: Steelers (-6.5)

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