Welcome to NFL Week 3 and the main body of games on NFL Sunday. We have followed the news and injury reports over the last week. On this page, we have our betting recommendations for the main markets (ie. no props) for all remaining NFL games in Week 3. In the table below, you will find our 2023 NFL Week 3 picks and predictions. When all the games are over, the predictions and picks will turn into a table of final scores that will be used to compute our Week 4 NFL Power Rankings.
Featured article: NFL Power Rankings Week 3
2023 NFL Week 3 Picks (regular season)
The table below is updated regularly. The date in the final column is the date of a pick or recommendation. Typically, our picks stay consistent throughout the week. However, at times injury report news forces a different perspective on a game. When we update our chart below, we don't delete previous tips but use the cross-out feature for transparency.
Week 3 Game of the Week
One of the more attractive games of the week could be the Philadelphia Eagles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are 2-0. While the Bucs are unheralded this season, they have a chance for a home win to improve to 3-0 on the season. That development would certainly inject some optimism into their playoff hopes.
Week 3: Picks and Predictions Table
| Date | Away vs Home | The Pick (as of) |
| September 21st, 2023 | Giants vs 49ers Outcome: Giants 12, SF 30 | OVER 45.0 (Sep 18) (LOSER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Titans vs Browns Outcome: Titans 3, Browns 27 | Titans +145 (Sep 20) (LOSER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Falcons vs Lions Outcome: Falcons 6, Lions 20 | Falcons +3.5 (Sep 22) (Best Bets) (LOSER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Saints vs Packers Outcome: Saints 17, Packers 18 | Packers -125 (Sep 22) (WINNER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Broncos vs Dolphins Outcome: Broncos 20, Dolphins 70 | OVER 48.5 (Sep 20) (WINNER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Chargers vs Vikings Outcome: Chargers 28, Vikings 24 | Chargers +1.0 (Sep 20) (WINNER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Patriots vs Jets Outcome: Patriots 15, Jets 10 | OVER 37.0 (Sep 20) (LOSER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Bills vs Commanders Outcome: Bills 37, Commanders 3 | Bills -260 (Sep 23) (Best Bets) (Winner) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Texans vs Jaguars Outcome: Texans 37, Jaguars 17 | Jaguars -425 (Sep 22) (LOSER) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Colts vs Ravens Outcome: Colts 22, Ravens 19 | Colts +8.0 (Sep 21) (Winner) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Panthers vs Seahawks Outcome: Panthers 27, Seahawks 37 | Panthers +5.5 (Sep 22) (Loser) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Bears vs Chiefs Outcome: Bears 10, Chiefs 41 | Chiefs -12.5 (Sep 20) (WInner) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Cowboys vs Cardinals Outcome: Cowboys 16, Cardinals 28 | Cowboys -12.5 (Sep 21) (Loser) |
| September 24th, 2023 | Steelers vs Raiders Outcome; Steelers 23, Vegas 18 | Steelers +125 (Sep 22) (Best Bets) (WINNER) |
| September 25th, 2023 | Eagles vs Buccaneers Outcome: Eagles 25, Buccaneers 11 | Bucs +6.0 (Sep 18) (Loser) |
| September 25th, 2023 | Rams vs Bengals Outcome: Rams 16, Bengals 19 | Rams +2.0 (Sep 18) (Best Bets) (Loser) |
Seahawks vs Panthers: NFL Week 3 Report
This is a game where we originally sided with the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the injury report. But Bryce Young is out. That means Andy Dalton should start for Carolina. That is an upgrade for Carolina. Also, Seattle has a really long injury report this week. Carolina might be into this game.
Colts vs Ravens: NFL Week 3 Picks
A good bet in the NFL is to take the Indianapolis Colts at +8.0 against the Baltimore Ravens at -110 (bet365). The big problem with Indianapolis this season was that they seemed to be committed to developing their rookie QB, Anthony Richardson. However, the concussion he sustained in Week 2 makes him questionable for Week 3. It will be interesting to see what is said of Richardson when the final injury report comes out for this game on Friday.
But the Colts' QB2, Gardner Minshew, played well in Week 2. He was 19 for 23 on passing for a rating of 112.1. He probably won't be doing that against Baltimore in Week 3, even if Minshew plays. However, the Colts would be more into the game than what +8.0 suggests. It's a good bet for early-week odds for NFL Week 3.
Chargers vs Vikings: NFL Week 3 Picks
Both of these teams are pretty banged up on their injury report. The big news with the Minnesota Vikings this week is that they went out and got Cam Akers to try and deal with their rushing game shortage. However, Minnesota has been so weak in rushing that it's not really clear that Cam Akers will save them. He is a peripheral running back in the NFL, not a game-changer. Even if he fits in with Minnesota, there's a question of how quickly the improvements will come. The Chargers with a handicap point are the team to take in this Sunday's game.
Titans vs Browns: NFL Week 3
The Cleveland Browns are heading into Week 3 as betting favorites to beat the Tennessee Titans (-3.0 -110) with Bet365 Sportsbook. That's a little bit odd given the situation at hand for Cleveland. Their starting QB, Deshaun Watson, has not played well this season. Meanwhile, they just lost their RB1, Nick Chubb, for the rest of the season. Chubb might have been the RB1 for the entire NFL before his sad injury on Monday night.
The Titans are a tough read at this point. They are coming off of a win over the LA Chargers. Before that, their QB1 had a nightmare for a game. Ryan Tannehill played better in Week 2 but the Titans are still a very ambiguous team.
In this game, Tennessee looks like a good moneyline pick. If Tannehill plays okay then his supporting cast on offense can be relied on to deliver a win. Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins should be key in this upcoming game against a Cleveland team that looks like they are about to deflate.
Falcons vs Lions: NFL Week 3 Predictions
The Atlanta Falcons have +3.0 handicap points available with bet365 sportsbook at -105. The Falcons are 2-0 and they are +15 on net points so far this season. Any kind of handicap is worth looking at for the team.
What can you hope for in taking the Falcons at +3.0? Firstly, you could hope for decent defense.
The Falcons have not surrendered a ton of points so far this season with just 34 points against in two games. They limited Green Bay and Jordan Love in Week 2. When a team looks decent defensively, then any kind of handicap can really loom large.
Also, you can hope that the injury news over the week favors Atlanta more than Detroit. Final reports are on Friday but as of the start of Week 3, Atlanta appears to be in a more promising position.
Broncos vs Dolphins: NFL Week 3
The Denver Broncos vs Miami Dolphins in Week 3 features two polarizing teams. The Denver Broncos are 0-2 after losing two games at home. The Dolphins are 2-0 after winning two games on the road. It's not surprising to see that Miami is priced at -110 to cover a -6.5 spread with bet365.
However, the Dolphins probably won't have a great injury report. Jaylen Waddle, one of the team's best receivers, is in concussion protocols. While Miami does have a diverse offensive attack, covering -6.5 might be hard, especially against a Denver team that still has Russell Wilson playing well -- even if others around him are not.
The best bet ahead of final injury news with this game is to take the OVER for total points. It's set at 48.5 and odds of -110. Miami has a great offensive attack while Denver's is more modest but still potent enough to contribute to a really high-scoring game.
Eagles vs Buccaneers: NFL Week 3 Betting Tips
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will meet on Monday in Week 3. The early odds are out for the game. The Bucs look like they have been left long for the contest. They are +6.0 underdogs in the contest.
Tampa Bay has opened 2-0 through a schedule that would be judged as modest for difficulty. They have a road win at Minnesota and a double-digit win over Chicago. Baker Mayfield is playing quite well with a 3-0 TD to INT-ratio. Also, he has a very good passer rating so far this season at 104.4.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 2-0 but they haven't been running the scores up yet. Take the points on the Bucs in this one early in the week. Don't be surprised if they shorten to more like +4.5 on TB later in the week.
Steelers vs Raiders: NFL Week 3 Betting Tips
Our recommendation for this game is to go with an upset. Neither of the QBs has played that well to start the season. However, Pittsburgh can be expected to have the better defense in this game. Also, the injury report appears to be in Pittsburgh's favor as of Thursday.
Bills vs Commanders: NFL Week 3 Betting Tips
The Washington Commanders are six-point underdogs as they host a strong team, the Buffalo Bills. The Commanders are 2-0 but remain a tough pick on the moneyline because of a weak schedule so far this season. Buffalo started the week with a bad injury report. However, the complexion of the report improved over the week. The Bills are the team to back in this game.
Cowboys vs Cardinals: NFL Week 3
The Cowboys and Cardinals will meet on Sunday afternoon. This is a game where Arizona has the edge when you only look at the injury report. However, the Cowboys can still be expected to post a big spread in this game based on how well they've played through the first two weeks of the season. Each team has already played the New York Giants: Dallas demolished them 40-0 while the Cardinals fell by three to the same team.
Rams vs Bengals: NFL Week 3 Betting Tips
The Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will meet in NFL Week 3. This will be the Monday night game, which is part of a doubleheader for the NFL on September 25th, 2023. It's a good game for betting action early in the week. The Rams are +2.0 on the spread but might shorten over the next few days.
Cincinnati has come out flat so far this season. They are 0-2 with losses to the Ravens and the Browns. That will bury them in their division for the time being. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow has drifted in MVP futures. He is now 18 to 1 in the MVP market with bet365.
It's possible that Burrow's name is on the injury report for this week. The calf strain that has blighted him since early in training camp seems to be bothering him still. Ben Baby at ESPN reported that Burrow tweaked his right calf. Cincinnati looks like they had botched their early season for sure. Not only are they 0-2 but their QB is worse for wear. Take the Rams on the handicap in this game, noting a decent start that has seen them go 1-1. Even in the game they lost, they covered with an early-week +8.0 handicap.
