NFL Week 3 Best Bets: Take the Ravens, Eagles, Chiefs to cover

Jason McIntyre

Co-Host of THE HERD and FOX Sports Betting Analyst

There are some incredible matchups on tap for NFL Week 3. And with so much live action for us to put our dollars behind, you might be overwhelmed deciding what to bet on.

That’s where I come in.

From Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson squaring off in Dallas, to Jalen Hurts taking on Derek Carr and the red-hot Saints, there’s a lot to consider when making your wagers this weekend.

Check out my best bets for this weekend’s slate of games.

(All times ET)

Sunday, Sept. 15

Ravens @ Cowboys (4:25 p.m., FOX and FOX Sports app)

This line doesn’t make much sense, but perhaps that’s because we don’t know if the Ravens are very good. They blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Raiders at home. Gardner Minshew rolled up and down the field and completed 83% of his passes. As we noted in the offseason, the Ravens would sorely miss defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, as they no longer have much of a pass rush and the secondary has struggled.

Still, Jackson owns the NFC (20-1) partially because it’s very difficult to game-plan for him when you don’t see him every season. The Cowboys have only faced Jackson once — a 34-17 loss in 2020. Jackson threw two touchdown passes, rushed for another, and had 201 yards of total offense.

The Ravens have also rushed for 294 yards as a team. This should be a big Derrick Henry game.

PICK: Baltimore (-1) to win more than 1 point

Eagles @ Saints (1 p.m., FOX and FOX Sports app)

If you’re a numbers guy, you really have to take the Eagles here getting a field goal. This is an inflated number based on an Eagles primetime choke job, A.J. Brown out injured, and the Saints looking like world beaters after smashing Carolina and Dallas. But when you win games by 37 and 25, everyone wants to back you.

Since 2000, only three teams have covered their first two games by 20-plus points. All three were favored in Week 3, and went 0-3 against the spread (ATS).

It’s a tiny sample size, but when you couple that with an Eagles defense that got rolled badly when it mattered most against Atlanta, I expect them to register more than two QB hits and one sack on Carr.

PICK: Philadelphia (+3) to lose by fewer than 3 points, or win outright

Chiefs @ Falcons (8:20 p.m., NBC)

The Falcons so far in 2024 have played a ton of zone coverage, leaning heavily on Cover 3 and Cover 4. It limited Justin Fields and Hurts to big plays. Problem is, Patrick Mahomes absolutely eviscerates zone defenses because of his ability to read defenses pre-snap, and extend plays with his legs to find Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice, who are fantastic at finding holes in the zone.

Mahomes had one of his worst days as a pro against Cincinnati last week, throwing for just 151 yards. Expect a big bounce back. Even with a shaky running game, I’m fine backing the two-time defending champs here against an opponent that should be 0-2 if not for a late comeback on Monday Night Football.

PICK: Kansas City (-3) to win by more than 3 points

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