We’re finally at a point where we are starting to see trends in the NFL. With many teams losing major stars, how will the betting lines add up in Week 3?
Week 2 in the NFL felt like one of the most significant early weeks in recent memory. Both Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger will miss significant time under center for Super Bowl contenders. Eli Manning finally lost his starting job for good, and the Daniel Jones era officially begins in New York. Sam Darnold took out all hope for the other New York team, and his backup Trevor Siemian is now on injured reserve.
Seven teams are already on their second quarterback, and if Cam Newton misses time that makes eight. And it’s only Week 3!
This could change betting lines all week long. Vegas always has trouble finding the right line when a quarterback goes down. Should they overshoot and scare off bettors entirely, or should they undercut the line to drive traffic or put themselves up for a major loss? We rarely see double-digit lines in the NFL, but with so many quarterback injuries, this week could see them in droves.
Of course, some of our bets last week came with not enough information, but we still won overall for the week. We got the Jets game wrong when we thought Darnold was going to play, but the way the Browns defense played, it may not have mattered.
This week, things get weird, but we finally know which teams are good and which ones likely aren’t. A lot is still up in the air, but games start on Thursday and it’s time to place our bets. Here’s who will win every single games on the NFL schedule.
Last Week: 9-7
Season Record: 16-16
Tennessee Titans (-1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
This is such a strange Thursday Night Football game. Not strange in the fact it’s unexpected (we have seen this matchup on Thursday night for years), but just one where we can’t put our finger on either one of these teams. The Jaguars are without Nick Foles, and are attempting to stay in the AFC South race with Gardner Minshew. Jalen Ramsey dominated the headlines after he asked for a trade. The Jaguars are in general disarray.
The Titans, on the other hand, are flying under the radar like they usually do. They had the chance to take a stranglehold on this division, but lost their game to the Indianapolis Colts. It’s only Week 3, but this division looks like it’s going to be a dog fight from start to finish.
There are too many distractions for the Jaguars, and we didn’t see that same precision from Minshew in Week 2 to go with them here, even at home. Having a short turnaround is hard for most teams. It’s extremely hard for a first-year quarterback. The Titans are up in the air, but the Jaguars are close to being in the ground. Pick: Tennessee (-1.5)