NFL Picks 2018: 5 Best Bets Against The Spread For Week 3 Include Steelers, Seahawks, Ravens

Nine NFL teams are winless heading into Week 3, but that number could be cut dramatically by Monday night. The Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers are among teams with no victories that are favored, according to the latest Las Vegas betting odds. Seven teams are a perfect 2-0, though only four of them are favored on the upcoming schedule.

There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to gambling, but here are the five best bets against the spread for Week 3 of the 2018 NFL season:

New York Jets (+3)

There’s no doubting that the Cleveland Browns are an improved team this year. That still doesn’t mean they are very good, and it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to bet against them when they are laying a field goal.

Cleveland's had one of the NFL’s worst offenses over the first two weeks. Only the Giants, Bears, Cardinals and Bills have averaged fewer yards per play. Wide receiver Josh Gordon is gone. Jarvis Landry will probably play, but he’s dealing with a knee injury. Only three teams have allowed fewer yards per play than the Jets, who limited the Lions to 17 points in the season opener and shut out the Dolphins in the second half of their Week 2 loss.

Cleveland is still looking for their first win since 2016. The team found ways to blow opportunities in both Week 1 and Week 2. Whether it’s missed kicks or coaching mistakes, you have to think there’s a good chance the Browns will screw this up when most football fans believe they will finally find their way back into the win column.

Baltimore Ravens (-5.5)

Of the seven teams that enter Week 3 with a perfect 2-0 record, the Denver Broncos have been the least impressive. They could be in for a rude awakening when they head on the road for the first time and visit Baltimore.

Denver narrowly defeated two teams at home, beating the 0-2 Seahawks by a field goal and needing a last-second field goal to top the winless Raiders. Let’s see how the Broncos respond when they no longer have one of the NFL’s best home-field advantages and head to the east coast. We’ve already seen how much better the Ravens are at home. Before losing in Cincinnati, Baltimore played a flawless game by topping Buffalo 47-3. The Broncos are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 road games, per OddsShark. The Ravens are 5-1 in their last six home games.

Most importantly, Case Keenum has not looked like the quarterback that nearly led the Vikings to the Super Bowl last season. He’s already thrown four interceptions and will face a defense that led the NFL in takeaways a season ago. The Broncos’ defense has been somewhat of a disappointment, as well, allowing Seattle to move the ball with relative ease and surrendering a 114.6 passer rating to Derek Carr. Baltimore is first in yards per play allowed, and Denver is near the bottom of the league at No.25.

Los Angeles Chargers (+7)

The Rams are the NFL’s best team in Los Angeles, but this is too many points to give to the Chargers, especially when they don’t have to travel to a different city. Even if the defending NFC West champs pull out the victory, the Chargers should be in this game for most of the way.

Philip Rivers and Co. will be able to move the ball. After ranking fourth in yards per play last season, the Chargers are third in 2018. The Rams’ lack of edge rushing and questions at linebacker didn’t hurt them against two winless teams, but it could be an issue Sunday afternoon. The Chargers’ passing game has been just about unstoppable this season, and it might’ve allowed them to defeat the Chiefs in Week 1 if it wasn’t for a few key drops.

Since the start of the 2015 season, the Chargers have lost by more than a touchdown to a non-divisional opponent just three times. Their only such loss last year was an eight-point defeat at New England. This certainly has the feel of another game in which the Chargers have a chance to win late in the fourth quarter but manage to somehow shoot themselves in the foot.

Seattle Seahawks (-2)

The Seahawks are off to a 0-2 start after failing to complete a couple of late fourth-quarter drives on the road. Seattle should rebound when they return home and face a Dallas Cowboys’ team that has more difficulty moving the ball than most NFL teams.

You can bet that this will be one of the lowest-scoring games on the schedule. The Cowboys and Seahawks rank 24th and 25th in yards per play, respectively. The edge goes to Seattle, who doesn’t need to win by a field goal to cover the spread and has one of the league's best home-field advantages. They’ll welcome an offense to CenturyLink Field that hasn’t scored more than 20 points in their last five games.

Russell Wilson gives Seattle a significant advantage at quarterback. Dak Prescott is 29th in passing yards, and he did little in the passing game in Dallas’ Week 2 victory outside of a 64-yard touchdown toss to Tavon Austin on the opening drive. The Seahawks held Ezekiel Elliott relatively in check when they won in Dallas a season ago, and it’ll be a long day for Prescott and his unimpressive receiving corps if the running back doesn’t put up big numbers. Linebacker Bobby Wagner is expected to return in Week 3 and Earl Thomas remains an elite safety, giving the Seahawks enough on defense to slow down a pedestrian Cowboys’ offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-1)

Between Ryan Fitzpatrick’s MVP-worthy start and all the distractions that surround the Steelers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem primed for a big win on “Monday Night Football.” That probably means things will go in the opposite direction and Pittsburgh will secure their first win of the season.

If this game was played in Week 2, Pittsburgh would’ve been favored by more than a field goal. The betting line has dropped significantly in part because of a level of unsustainable play by Fitzpatrick and a poor defensive effort by the Steelers. We’ve seen Fitzpatrick play great before, only to look like a backup quarterback shortly afterward. It’s going to be difficult for him to embarrass Pittsburgh’s defense the way Patrick Mahomes did last week.

Even if the Steelers’ defense is going to be bad all season and Fitzpatrick stays hot, the Buccaneers still have to stop Pittsburgh’s offense. Ben Roethlisberger engineered four touchdown drives of 75 yards or more and a 66-yard touchdown drive against Kansas City without Le’Veon Bell. As long as Antonio Brown suits up, he should be able to dominate a defense that’s 30th in yards allowed per play—11 spots behind Pittsburgh—and let Nick Foles post a 98.8 passer rating with a banged-up offense.

Season Record: 5-4-1