NFL picks and score predictions for Week 3 as the 2021 season rolls along.
Fall is beautiful and football is on the tube. The 2021 NFL season is off and running, and we’ve got our regular batch of weekly NFL picks and score predictions to help you through the upcoming weekend of gridiron greatness.
As you will come to expect on a weekly basis, we’ve got you covered with the Week 3 edition of NFL picks and score predictions. Just as in years passed, I’ll never claim to know what the future holds. As it turns out, odds are high at least a few of my picks will be completely wrong. I will, however, make my selections based on research, experience and careful consideration.
After a meh first week, I shook off the cobwebs with a better effort this past weekend. By the time Week 2 was in the books and my NFL picks had been set in stone, I had mustered a respectable 12-4 record. That brings my overall record on the year to 21-11, which could certainly be worse all things considered.
Just remember that making picks is not a science. Plenty of research goes into it, but there’s no crystal ball — craziness occurs every Sunday. Then again, isn’t that part of the fun of it all?
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, here are my NFL picks and score predictions for Week 3. Just keep in mind that I assume no responsibility if you choose to place wagers based on my picks — that’s your decision, not mine.
Week 3 Byes: None | All point spreads and odds are courtesy of WynnBet.
Carolina Panthers (2-0) at Houston Texans (1-1)
Thursday, September 23, 8:20PM ET
I don’t know what’s going on. The Houston Texans, a team that everyone had written off before any football had even be played, has been surprisingly competitive this season. I thought this TNF game was going to be a waste of time, but it’s turned out to be a decent matchup.
Despite the Texans’ strong showing so far, I’m still giving this one to the Carolina Panthers. Sam Darnold has done very well for his new franchise, and the return of Christian McCaffrey has been a huge help. While the Panthers don’t exactly boast a dangerous offense, but it’s capable of putting up consistent points.
Furthermore, the Carolina defense has been dangerous. They kept the New Orleans Saints to only five points a week after Jameis Winston threw five touchdowns. It’s clear they’re a defensive unit that deserves respect.
What truly hurts Houston in this one is the status of Tyrod Taylor, who left the Texans’ Week 2 game with a hamstring injury that will likely keep him on the sideline for at least a couple of weeks. If Davis Mills or Jeff Driskel is the starter, the Texans don’t stand a chance. Even if Taylor is available, I’m still thinking Carolina comes away victorious.
Prediction: Panthers win 25-20 | Spread: Panthers (-7.5)
Indianapolis Colts (0-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Okay, this is the Tennessee Titans team were expecting to show up in 2021. I knew what we saw from the Titans in Week 1 wasn’t right, but they corrected themselves and put together a resilient performance in Week 2 to put their first notch in the win column.
Derrick Henry did Derrick Henry things, carrying the Titans throughout their second-half comeback. Ryan Tannehill also looked more comfortable under center, albeit with a similar sluggish offensive line in front of him. Even Julio Jones got going (and was robbed of a touchdown) after a lackluster debut for Tennessee.
Make your picks for NFL Week 3 on WynnBet
As for the Indianapolis Colts, it’s been a rough start to the season. They’ve shown grit through their first two games, but haven’t been able to make plays when it mattered most. To make matters worse, Carson Wentz may be out after suffering a nasty ankle injury.
Even if Wentz is on the field, I’m still giving the edge to the Titans. They’ve got enough talent on defense to slow down the Colts, and there’s no way the Indianapolis D is ready to corral Henry and keep Tannehill from doing damage through the air. Round 1 of this divisional showdown goes to the Titans.
Prediction: Titans win 29-23 | Spread: Titans (-5)
Atlanta Falcons (0-2) at New York Giants (0-2)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Oh, man. It’s been a rough go of things so far for the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. Although one has looked more impressive than the other, neither club has had lady luck on their side through the first two weeks of the 2021 campaign.
At this point, though, the Giants look like the superior squad. Daniel Jones hasn’t been a star, but he’s held his own while waiting for Saquon Barkley to get back into the flow of things. He’s thrown the ball well, and run the ball even better — oddly enough. Against a miserable Falcons defense, expect the G-Men to move down the field with ease.
And while the New York defense hasn’t lived up to the hype so far, they should have a better outing against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Ryan is clearly on a downward slide and has had to rely on Cordarrelle Patterson of all people to put points on the board in 2021. Although I don’t think the Atlanta offense will stall, it won’t run efficiently enough to keep up in Week 3.
The Falcons remain in free fall, while the Giants finally put a win on the board. It’s not too late for New York to get back into the hunt, but Atlanta may be one of the first teams who fall into the “stick a fork in ’em” category.
Prediction: Giants win 24-16 | Spread: Giants (-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Seriously, I struggled with this one. I went back and forth about whether to give the win to the underdog Los Angeles Chargers. It felt right, especially after we saw that the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t invincible on Sunday night. Ultimately, I couldn’t pull the trigger.
Over the last two seasons, the Chiefs have lost back-to-back games only once. I don’t anticipate that happening again, especially against a Chargers team that hasn’t exactly been at the top of their game.
Justin Herbert hasn’t been bad, but it certainly wasn’t the explosive start to his sophomore season fans were hoping for. The Los Angeles defense is also having a tough time slowing opponents both through the air and on the ground, which doesn’t bode well when you’ve got a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes across the line of scrimmage.
Mahomes does his usual thing, shredding the Chargers secondary and forcing Herbert to win with his arm. While the youngster answers the call, his defense doesn’t. The Chiefs get the bounce-back win and try to stay within striking distance of the suddenly hot Las Vegas Raiders.
Prediction: Chiefs win 37-32 | Spread: Chiefs (-6.5)
Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Here it is — my upset of the week. It’s clear right now that the Pittsburgh Steelers are not working well as a unit. There’s frustration with the coaching staff, and the offense is misfiring time and time against Ben Roethlisberger tries to right the ship.
Unfortunately, that frustration and lack of chemistry could cost them a couple of games early on this season, as it already did in Week 2. Although the Cincinnati Bengals don’t exactly strike fear in opponents, we’ve seen this season that they’re capable of making opponents sweat.
It doesn’t help that Pittsburgh’s offense looks rusty. Najee Harris hasn’t been able to get going, and the passing game looks lethargic at times. And as we all know, anything can happen when these AFC North matchups come up on the calendar.
The Steelers may be without T.J. Watt this upcoming weekend. Even if he is uniform, it’s unlikely he’ll be at full speed. That could give the Bengals just the edge they need to put together a valiant offensive performance, with Joe Burrow tossing a game-winner to JaMarr Chase in the waning seconds of the game to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Bengals win 21-20 | Spread: Steelers (-4.5)
Chicago Bears (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
I’m glad the Chicago Bears pulled off the win in Week 2 against an underrated Bengals team. That was a nice morale victory for this NFC North club. Unfortunately, it isn’t the start of some streak that’s going to rocket them to the top of the conference standings.
Instead, it’s an opportunity for the Cleveland Browns to tack on another win as they look to assert themselves as contenders in the AFC. And based on what we’ve seen so far in 2021, I’m confident they’ll do exactly that while making a mockery of the Bears.
It certainly doesn’t help Chicago’s chances that Andy Dalton could miss time after suffering an injury in Week 3. When Justin Fields stepped in for the veteran, the youngster couldn’t get much going himself. While David Montgomery kept the Chicago offense running, I don’t think they can’t rely solely on him against Cleveland.
The Browns have a dangerous offense with the dynamic duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and even Baker Mayfield poses quite the threat to Chicago’s defense. When you factor in that Cleveland has a formidable defense of their own, I don’t see a win coming for the Bears in Week 3.
Prediction: Browns win 33-21 | Spread: Browns (-7.5)
Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Put simply, the Detroit Lions defense has been abysmal this season. Two weeks in a row, they’ve been steamrolled. Once by a solid but far from amazing San Francisco 49ers offense, and the next by a Green Bay Packers offense that was nearly shut out in Week 1. Not a good look, if you ask me.
So there’s very little chance they’ll have an answer for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens offense in Week 3. It seems highly likely we could see a season-high in points scored by a single team if the Ravens get on an early roll against the Lions.
Sure, Jared Goff will do his best to keep this one from turning into a complete boat race. He may even make a couple of quality throws. Overall, though, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for an impressive performance from him or the Detroit offense. Baltimore will have the burner up high on Goff’s derriere, forcing the erratic quarterback into too many costly mistakes.
The Lions look like the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the NFC, while the Ravens are looking like a legit AFC contender. I don’t expect that outlook to change before this game is in the books.
Prediction: Ravens win 47-20 | Spread: Ravens (-10.5)
New Orleans Saints (1-1) at New England Patriots (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
It feels weird to be picking against the New Orleans Saints after successfully predicting they would upset the Packers in Week 1. Then again, did we really expect that type of production to continue from Jameis Winston? Hint: the only correct answer is a resounding “no.”
I’m not yet convinced that the Patriots offense is the real deal, as Mac Jones has shown promise but hasn’t turned it into large amounts of points. Luckily for New England, they’ve got one of the league’s top defenses to lean on while the rookie quarterback gains his bearings.
Last weekend, the Patriots racked up four interceptions. Yes, I know it was against another rookie in only his second outing, but it’s still an impressive feat regardless. Winston is infamous for throwing interceptions in bunches, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw another one of those ugly performances here in Week 3.
New England gets the win as their defense puts the clamps on Winston, Alvin Kamara and anyone else the Saints opt to give the ball. Jones has another solid performance, taking another step towards proving he can be the face of this franchise in the post-Brady era.
Prediction: Patriots win 24-14 | Spread: Patriots (-3)
Arizona Cardinals (2-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Right now, the Arizona Cardinals have one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. Kyler Murray is lighting it up with both his arm and his legs, every one of his receivers seems ready to go off at any given moment, and the points keep coming in bunches.
As for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s a very different story. The addition of No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been everything the franchise hoped it would be, as the rookie has struggled mightily in his first two starts. James Robinson has been underutilized, and none of the Jaguars’ other playmakers has stepped up.
It doesn’t help that Arizona’s defense has been on its game as well. That could mean plenty of ugly plays for Lawrence and the Jaguars on Sunday, leading to even more opportunities for Murray and Co. to flood the scoreboard.
If you enjoy watching one team demolish another, then this is the game you should tune into in Week 3. Otherwise, you may want to avoid this one. Unless Murray misses the flight to Florida, there’s simply no way the Jaguars manage to be anything close to competitive in this one.
Prediction: Cardinals win 35-7 | Spread: Cardinals (-7.5)
Washington Football Team (1-1) at Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
Honestly, I appreciate what we’ve seen from the Washington Football Team so far. Taylor Heinicke held his own in his first start, and the D.C. defense is one of the better groups in the NFL. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’ll be enough to topple the Buffalo Bills.
In my opinion, the Bills’ Week 1 loss was a fluke. This team is one of the best in the AFC, and could very well be headed to Los Angeles in February. The shutout performance we saw from them in Week 2 was far more indicative of their potential than their opening weekend effort.
We’ll see that same defense that kept the Dolphins off the scoreboard last Sunday when the Football Team comes to town. Buffalo will keep Heinicke on his heels all game long, forcing the inexperienced starter into more mistakes than Washington is capable of overcoming.
And then there’s Josh Allen, who will do his normal thing through the air. I’d also expect a healthy helping of the Buffalo ground game, allowing them to chew up the clock and keep the ball away from D.C. The Bills get the W and continue to gain momentum as one of the AFC’s biggest threats.
Prediction: Bills win 31-18 | Spread: Bills (-9)
New York Jets (0-2) at Denver Broncos (2-0)
Sunday, September 26, 4:05PM ET
It’s looking like this could be a throw-away season for the New York Jets, who haven’t looked good through their first two games of the 2021 campaign. Zach Wilson is coming off a miserable performance, and he’s not getting much help from his defense.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos have excelled through the first two games. While they’ve take down inferior opponents, Teddy Bridgewater has the offense running well and the Denver defense has stepped up. As long as Bridgewater, Cortland Sutton and Melvin Ingram can keep the points coming, the Broncos have the look of an AFC sleeper.
We’ll see more evidence of that in Week 3 when the Broncos welcome the Jets into Mile High. Look for Denver to focus on pressuring Wilson and forcing him into turning the ball over, much like he did in Week 2 with four interceptions.
The Broncos are looking like a strong, well-rounded team in the early parts of the season. Although they’ve also benefitted from a relatively easy schedule, you have to take advantage of the opportunities you’re provided — Denver’s done exactly that.
Prediction: Broncos win 26-13 | Spread: Broncos (-10.5)
Miami Dolphins (1-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Sunday, September 26, 4:05PM ET
Coming out of Week 1, the Miami Dolphins looked like they had the potential to be a disruptive force in the AFC. Then they got absolutely smashed by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, and Tua Tagovailoa got hurt. Suddenly, the outlook isn’t quite as sunny.
However, on the other side of the ball, the Las Vegas Raiders have pulled off two surprising wins in the first two weeks of the season. They overcome Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, and then toppled the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. It’s beginning to appear as though Jon Gruden’s long-term approach is finally paying off.
With Tua unsure to be available with bruised ribs and the Raiders rolling right now, I’ve got to give this one to the Silver and Black. If Tagovailoa can’t go, that means Jacoby Brissett gets the start — and that’ll make the Miami offense one to bet against in Week 3.
The Raiders keep the wins coming with a third-straight victory, further proving that they’re a team worth taking seriously in 2021.
Prediction: Raiders win 34-10 | Spread: Raiders (-3.5)
Seattle Seahawks (1-1) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
Sunday, September 26, 4:25PM ET
I’ll admit this was a tough one for me to decide on — my lifelong favorite team (the Minnesota Vikings) against my local team (the Seattle Seahawks). While I’d like to believe the Vikings will finally tally their first win in this one, I’m not confident that will be the case.
Why? Well for starters, it’s not going to be easy for them to slow Russell Wilson. They couldn’t keep Kyler Murray in check in Week 2, and Wilson poses a similar threat. Even if they manage to make some big stops, does the Vikings offense have enough to stay ahead in the scoring department?
I’d like to think so, but it’s questionable. Kirk Cousins has been good this season, and Dalvin Cook is among the league leaders in rushing yards. However, Cousins is due for a setback and Seattle has a defense capable of crushing an opposing quarterback’s soul. Additionally, Cook could very well be banged up after suffering numerous injuries against Arizona.
Even with home-field advantage, the Vikings aren’t going to be able to pull this one off. Then again, even if Cousins delivers and Minnesota’s defense does its job, I’m sure the kicking department will find a way to cost the Vikings the game. It’s tradition in the Twin Cities.
Prediction: Seahawks win 28-26 | Spread: Seahawks (-1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) at Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
If there’s any game you need to watch this weekend (other than the one including your favorite team), it’s the one where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a battle between two 2-0 clubs that promises plenty of fireworks.
In one corner, you’ve got Tom Brady and the defending champions. While their defense hasn’t been as spectacular as it was a season ago, the ageless wonder is still slinging it like he’s got something to prove. As long as the Tampa Bay offense keeps revving, they’ll have no trouble keeping up with the best of offenses.
And as it turns out, the Rams do in fact have a pretty outstanding offense. Even after the loss of Cam Akers, they’re still moving the ball with ease. Matthew Stafford has cultivated a quick connection with Cooper Kupp, who is asserting himself as one of the league’s best receivers. Look for him to have another big day against the Buccaneers’ suspect secondary.
This one will likely come down to who has the ball last, but I’m going to give a slight edge to the Rams. Their superior defense led by Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald makes the difference, forcing a late turnover that seals the deal for the home team.
Prediction: Rams win 31-27 | Spread: Rams (-1)
Green Bay Packers (1-1) at San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Sunday, September 26, 1PM ET
So far this season, the San Francisco 49ers have gotten by with what they’ve had. Despite a handful of injuries and a near-catastrophic meltdown, they’ve limped their way to 2-0. The tide, however, is about to turn for this NFC West squad.
They’re banged up already, with most of their running backs nursing injuries. They’ve also pulled off wins against the hapless Lions and an Eagles team that has its own health problems to worry about. What I’m trying to say is that the 49ers aren’t nearly as strong as their record would indicate.
The Packers will further prove my point on Sunday, when they arrive in the Bay Area and give the 49ers a proper whooping. Aaron Rodgers looked like his old self in Week 2, and Aaron Jones is picking up steam as well. As long as the Green Bay defense can hold its own against a so-so San Francisco offense, this one should be in the bag.
Don’t take my emphatic tone as an endorsement for the Packers — they’ve still got a ways to go before I believe they’re legitimate contenders. I’m just confident that the 49ers aren’t the team they’re being built up to be. We’ll see what happens in Week 3.
Prediction: Packers win 28-13 | Spread: N/A
Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Monday, September 27, 8:15PM ET
At this moment, I’m still unsure of what to expect from both of these NFC East squads. They currently sit at 1-1, each with a quality win and loss to a capable opponent. Determining the winner of this Monday night showdown isn’t going to be easy.
Seeing as the purpose is to select a winner, though, I’m leaning towards the Dallas Cowboys to walk away victorious. They’ve got the superior talent across the board on offense, and showed some grit this past weekend on defense. While the Eagles aren’t devoid of talent, theirs isn’t nearly as polished.
In this one, I expect Dak Prescott to make some big plays against the Philly defense, with a healthy serving of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Jalen Hurts will do his best to keep things close, but the Dallas defense has enough juice to avoid an offensive onslaught from the Eagles.
The NFC East may be one of the most intriguing divisional races of the 2021 season, and the Eagles and Cowboys figure to both be in the hunt until the final weeks. Dallas gets the early leg up with a win in Week 3.
Prediction: Cowboys win 26-23 | Spread: Cowboys (-4)