The Cowboys took an unprecedented loss at home, kicking our lock picks out in Week 2. Not good. In other news, my contrarian selections are still going strong. Here, I’ll outline my NFL Survivor Picks for Week 3, and we’ll take a glance at the entire slate!
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NFL Survivor Picks Week 3
Look Around the League Week 3
Thursday 8:15 PM
Patriots at Jets (-6) Prime Video
Sunday 1:00 PM
Giants at Browns (-6.5) FOX
Packers at Titans (-2.5) FOX
Bears at Colts (-1) CBS
Texans at Vikings (+2.5) CBS
Eagles at Saints (-2.5) FOX
Chargers at Steelers (-1) FOX
Broncos at Buccaneers (-6.5) FOX
Sunday 4:05 PM
Panthers at Raiders (-4.5) CBS
Dolphins at Seahawks (-4) CBS
Sunday 4:25 PM
Raves at Cowboys (+1.5) FOX
49ers at Rams (+7) FOX
Lions at Cardinals (+3) FOX
Sunday 8:20 PM
Chiefs at Falcons (+3.5) NBC/Peacock
Monday 7:30 PM
Jaguars at Bills (-5) ESPN/ESPN+
Monday 8:15 PM
Commanders at Bengals (-7.5) ABC/ESPN+
Once again, we have just a few large spreads this week, which goes to show how, on any given Sunday, any team can get the job done. Maybe other than the Panthers, who are benching Bryce Young this week. There are also a few interesting spot games. The Cowboys are home underdogs for the first time in nearly three seasons, as the Ravens try to avoid falling to 0-3. The 49ers are 7-point favorites on the road to a Rams team that is all banged up.
Lock Selection: Cincinnati Bengals
I epically whiffed last week, choosing Dallas to beat the Saints. They were absolutely destroyed. I did tell everyone to avoid the Ravens, though, who also lost. This week, I’ll be taking the Bengals. They are the largest spread on the board, which is always a bit concerning, but the Bengals are desperate for a victory.
Starting 0-3 pretty much eliminates you from playoff contention. 0-3 teams make the playoffs just 2.5% of the time, and the Bengals are undoubtedly a playoff team. Last week, they played the Chiefs evenly and would have been a missed PAT away from going to overtime.
Tee Higgins is still a question mark, but I don’t think they’ll need him at home against the worst secondary in the NFL. Washington became the first team in NFL history last week to win a game, scoring zero touchdowns and giving up three. That’s the New York Giants for you. Washington is super young, and their defense is shaky at best. They’ll have a lot on their plate dealing with this Bengals’ offense on the road.
Contrarian Selection: Detroit Lions
I think this is a huge buy-low opportunity on the Lions. They looked awful against the Buccaneers. And it’s quite the opposite for the Cardinals: a sell-high opportunity, as they looked unstoppable last week against the Rams. Detroit is easily the better team, and the point spread tells you all you need to know. The Cardinals are 3-point underdogs at home.
The Cardinals’ offense was electric last week, dismantling the Rams banged up front. My concern with this Arizona team is the defense and, more specifically, their lack of a pass rush.
Goff will either be in a dome or in good weather, so we don’t have to worry too much about him. The Lions’ defense looked elite last week as well. Aidan Hutchinson picked up 4.5 sacks, and their secondary held up well against the Buccaneers passing game. I think the Lions take care of business quite easily as long as they contain the Murray-Harrison connection.
