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NFL Office Pool Picks Week 3 with Expert Analysis and ATS Predictions

by Sean Barnard - 9/21/2022

NFL office pool picks Week 3 Saquon Barkley NY Giants

The NFL season continues with another flurry of madness in the Week 2 matchups. Overall, favorites went 10-6 on the week. However, their record against the spread was just 7-9. The week's biggest win was the Bills’ 41-7 victory over the Titans to comfortably cover the -10 spread. The most notable upset was the Cowboys' 20-17 victory over the Bengals in which they covered the +7 spread and won outright as +260 underdogs. The focus will now shift to Week 3 as expectations are beginning to shift for some teams around the NFL.

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Thursday Night Football: Steelers (+4.5) to cover vs Browns

Both teams enter this matchup 1-1 and come off heartbreaking losses of three points or less. The Browns put together a solid overall performance vs the Jets but managed to blow a 13-point lead with 1:55 left to play. The Steelers had a grind-it-out performance against the Patriots in which New England came out on top. The Browns will have a chance to win, but 4.5 points are too much to for how close the two teams are. Lay the points and feel comfortable with a field goal being the difference in the matchup, and don’t be surprised if Pittsburg pulls off the upset.

Texans (+3) over Bears

While they enter the matchup 0-1-1, the Houston Texans have been somewhat of a surprise this season. They tied the Colts in Week 1 and had the Broncos on the ropes in last week’s matchup before the Broncos outscored them 10-0 in the fourth to secure the win. With a better opportunity to against the Bears, and a far more complete roster than has been given credit, count on the Texans to pull off the Week 3 upset.

Raiders (-2) over Titans

Both teams are disappointed to be entering the matchup with an 0-2 record. The Raiders seemed to have their matchup with the Cardinals in the bag before they stormed back to win it, while the Titans were completely dismantled by the Bills. Expect the Raiders to get back on track and put forth their most convincing performance against the Titans as they cruise to a victory.

Chiefs (-6.5) over Colts

These two teams are trending in opposite directions. The Chiefs are off to a 2-0 start in which they have flashed their ability to contend, while the Colts have gotten off to an extremely disappointing start and slipped to 0-1-1. Matt Ryan has thrown four interceptions and just one touchdown this year, and it looks as if his best years may be behind him. The Indianapolis defense also has not carried the same bite as it has in past years.  Don’t overthink this one and expect the Chiefs to secure a comfortable double-digit victory.

Bills (-5.5) over Dolphins

The Dolphins are coming off one of the most impressive comeback victories in NFL history in which Tua Tagovailoa made a major statement to the rest of the NFL about his legitimacy as a quarterback. Miami has a ton of momentum and the most dangerous offense they have had in quite some time. Unfortunately for them, they will be set to square off with the Bills, who have looked nothing short of unstoppable this season. Expect Buffalo to continue their Super Bowl journey and pick up the comfortable win in this matchup and cover the 5.5 points spread.

Vikings (-6) over Lions

The Vikings will be looking to make a statement following their frustrating loss at the hands of the Eagles on Monday night. As Kirk Cousins gets out of the Monday Night Football spotlight, there is some reason for optimism in this. Expect Minnesota to get back to their impressive offense in this matchup between the 1-1 teams. While the Lions can be counted on to keep it somewhat close, count on the Vikings to come out on top and cover in the matchup.

 

Ravens (-3) over Patriots

 

In the first half of their Week 2 matchup with the Dolphins, the Ravens looked extremely impressive. Things came screeching to a halt as the Dolphins stormed back for the historic victory with the Baltimore defense being torn to shreds by Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. With far less dynamic wide receivers on the Patriots, and the desire for revenge after to blown opportunity, expect Baltimore to keep their foot on the gas and to secure the win over New England.

 

 Jets (+4.5) to cover vs Bengals

 

When looking ahead at the schedule prior to the season, this seemed a can’t-lose game for the Bengals. Now two weeks in, there is not as much certainty. Despite trying to improve the offensive line this offseason, Joe Burrow is leading the NFL in the number of times sacked, and it has prevented their offense from getting going. In contrast, the Jets are coming off a thrilling comeback win over the Browns and have had some impressive flashes to start the season. Until Cincinnati can prove they are getting back to the contender they were last year, it is fair to have a concern. Take the Jets +4.5 and expect this to end up being a close matchup.

 

Eagles (-6.5) over Commanders

 

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a convincing Monday Night victory over the Vikings in which Jalen Hurts put forth an MVP-like performance and the game was never in doubt. The Eagles have a complete roster on both sides of the field and have made their presence known through the first two weeks. Carson Wentz may be searching for revenge against his former team, but he is not going to find it. Expect the Eagles to remain undefeated and pick up a comfortable victory over their NFC East foes in Week 3.

 

Panthers (+3) over Saints

 

The Baker Mayfield era has not been off to a positive start in Carolina. The team has fallen to 0-2 despite losing both games by a combined five points. In contrast, the Saints seemed to be heading toward a 2-0 start before a Jameis Winston meltdown handed the game to the Buccaneers. Look for the Panthers to do just enough to get back in the win column in this matchup as they avoid the 0-3 start and pull off the upset.

 

Chargers (-7) over Jaguars

 

The Jaguars will travel all the way to the West Coast for a matchup against the Chargers, with both teams holding 1-1 records. Jacksonville has been one of the more surprising teams this year and put forth solid efforts in both games thus far. Unfortunately, they are a notable class below the Chargers, and this will be shown in this matchup. Expect Los Angeles’ offensive firepower to be too much and for their defense to cause issues for Trevor Lawrence as the Chargers cruise to the double-digit victory.

 

Cardinals (+3.5) over Rams

 

It is still unclear what to make of either one of these teams. The Rams were blown out by the Bills in the opening week matchup and narrowly escaped the Falcons in their Week 2 victory. In comparison, the Cardinals lost handily to the Chiefs in Week 1 and had a miraculous overtime win over the Raiders to get in the win column last week. This should be expected to be a tight matchup, but I like the Cardinals to ride the momentum and take down the defending champions in front of their home crowd.

 

Falcons (+2) over Seahawks

 

Each of these teams has proven to be better than expected through the first two weeks of the season. Geno Smith and Marcus Mariota are both quarterbacks who have been written off as potential starters and have been eager to prove this wrong. While the Week 1 performance from Geno Smith and the Seahawks was about as perfect as it could have been, this may very well have been the peak of their season. The Falcons have lost both games so far this season by a total of five points, and I expect this to change this week.

 

Buccaneers (-1.5) over Packers

 

This could be the final time Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady match up against each other, and it is sure to be a good one. The Buccaneers come into the matchup 2-0 and will play in front of their home crowd. This will be a tight matchup, but I expect the Buccaneers to remain in the win column with their defense playing a major role. The chemistry between Aaron Rodgers and his new receiving corps is still a work in progress, and they should be expected to struggle in this matchup. Count on the Buccaneers to cover.

 

Sunday Night Football: 49ers (-1.5) over Broncos

 

Each of these teams comes into this matchup 1-1 and is disappointed in the loss they picked up. The most notable storyline will be Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to the starting role following Trey Lance’s season-ending ankle injury. He has a terrific chance to continue on the right foot as the Broncos have struggled mightily out of the gate. While Denver managed to come out on top last week, it looked as if the Texans would get the better of them until the final quarter. The Broncos' offense should be expected to continue to struggle against the San Francisco defense, and look for the 49ers to pick up a comfortable victory.

 

Monday Night Football: Giants (-2.5) over Cowboys

Cooper Rush exceeded all expectations in his first start following Dak Prescott’s injury and led the Cowboys to the biggest upset of Week 2 by taking down the Bengals. This is an impressive win that cannot be taken away from him, but the Giants are a team that has opened eyes early this year. Expect Dallas to have a more difficult time moving the ball this week and for Saquon Barkley to make a major difference. This should be expected to be a close matchup, but count on the Giants to get the win and cover.

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