NFL Best Bets for Week 3: Expert Picks for Rams vs Eagles, Chiefs vs Giants, Lions vs Ravens, and More

NFL Week 3 is upon us, and this Sunday slate features a feast of intriguing matchups. Last week saw a bunch of high-scoring matchups and games decided in the last minute, and this week projects to be no different. Here at Pickswise, we have you covered on EVERY GAME in Week 3! You can find out our NFL picks on the side and total, with our expert handicappers boasting a 40-26 record through Week 1 and Week 2! But for now, let’s break down our NFL best bets from our top experts. Let’s dive in.

NFL best bet: Falcons vs Panthers Over 43.5 (-115)

Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.

Aside from some slight red-zone issues, Michael Penix Jr. has looked very comfortable under center for Atlanta. He already has a great rapport with tight end Kyle Pitts, while receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney are good to go for Sunday after battling some minor injuries. Bijan Robinson looks like a top-3 running back in the league after torching Minnesota for 143 rushing yards in addition to 25 more yards on 3 receptions. Robinson and company now face a Carolina defense that was dead last in the entire NFL by a country mile in run defense last season (179.8 yards per game allowed). It is #26 in that department through 2 weeks of the 2025 campaign.

It is true that the Falcons’ defense looked good last weekend, but it was a different story against a much more capable quarterback in Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield in the season opener. Atlanta came up with just 1 sack and watched Mayfield toss 3 scoring strikes without getting picked off. Young may not be Mayfield, but he restored some confidence with last week’s performance and he has enjoyed success against Atlanta in the past. Let’s also not forget what happened when these 2 division rivals collided in 2024 — the scores were 38-20 and 44-38 in overtime. This simply is not a high enough number for this matchup.

Read our full Falcons vs Panthers prediction

NFL best bet: Rams +3.5 over Eagles (-110)

Odds available at Fanatics Sportsbook at time of publishing.

One of the biggest games on the NFL Week 3 card features a rematch of last season’s NFC Divisional Round matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. That game was played right down to the wire, and last year’s Eagles team during that playoff run was a significantly better unit than what we’re currently seeing. In fact, Philadelphia was fortunate to win each of its first 2 games this season, as the Eagles were aided buy a number of drops from CeeDee Lamb down the stretch in Week 1, before getting an absolute gift of an interception courtesy of Travis Kelce to flip the game on its head and give Philadelphia the inside track to a victory.

A lot of my concerns with the Eagles heading into the season have come to fruition, as the defense has taken a noticeable step back and the offense has been a total slog under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Jalen Hurts has thrown for just 253 yards to this point, and I also have some serious reservations about Saquon Barkley’s production, given that he’s averaging a very middling 3.7 yards per rush. At some point, this offense is going to have to do something worth talking about, and I don’t see that being the case against a Rams defense that has quietly been one of the best units in the sport through the first 2 weeks of the campaign. In fact, Los Angeles boasts an extremely stout defensive front, one that has the ability to give the Eagles offensive line plenty of issues on Sunday.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams’ passing offense is starting to really click following a middling start against an excellent Texans defense in Week 1. Matthew Stafford is still one of the sharpest minds at the quarterback position and the wide receiver tandem of Davante Adams and Puka Nacua appears to be a very successful pairing in Sean McVay’s offense. Speaking of McVay, he excels in these spots (18-11-2 ATS as an underdog of more than a field goal) and I’ve got full confidence in the Rams’ ability to keep this one close and potentially even win the game outright.

Read our full Rams vs Eagles predictions

NFL best bet: Chiefs vs Giants Under 45 (-110)

Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.

We realize the Giants looked like the greatest show on turf last Sunday, but there’s a fat chance of that repeating. Firstly, New York will go up against the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense that limited the Super Bowl champions to just 216 yards last weekend. Ultimately, Philadelphia did enough to win the game, but even all-world runner Saquon Barkley was kept to just 88 yards on the ground. So far, the Giants have virtually no rushing attack, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and 79 rushing yards per game. That means Kansas City can focus solely on interfering with Russell Wilson‘s comfort in the pocket. In Week 1, we saw that make a huge difference in the Giants’ production, and we doubt the home team will fly the same way they did against a porous Dallas resistance in Week 2.

On the other side, although the Giants’ defense is still under development and needs to limit offenses in the red zone (they are 31st in this category, allowing a touchdown on 85.71% of red zone possessions), their talent matches up well with Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes has been rushed and hurried constantly for 2 straight games, possibly a consequence of a more shallow offensive line following losses during the offseason. Most notably, Mahomes no longer has Joe Thuney, the all-pro left guard who protected his blind side. He’s also arguably the best pass protector in the NFL. The Giants’ front 7 has yet to completely dominate, but this is a good setup for them to do so. Most Chiefs games may look the same this season — low scoring, defensive battles, and this one is no exception.

Read our full Chiefs vs Giants predictions for SNF

NFL best bet: Ravens -5 over Lions (-110)

Odds available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing.

You may have heard it before, but the Ravens are pretty good against NFC opponents. In the era of Lamar Jackson, Baltimore is 24-2 when the 2-time MVP starts. That’s gone on far too long to ignore, so there must be something to it. The reality is we often find Baltimore stumbling against familiar opponents like the Browns and Steelers, or the Bills (too soon?).

Against unfamiliar opponents, Jackson and his comrades seem to settle in more easily and freely in their playing style. The result has been catastrophic for their NFC foes, with the Eagles last year and the Giants 3 years ago as the only programs to overcome the juggernaut. And the Ravens often win in dominant fashion. Take 2 years ago, for example, the same season where the Lions went 12-5 and ascended to an NFC championship game. When they traveled to Baltimore in Week 7, they were decimated, 38-6. Jackson had 4 total touchdowns and 327 passing yards on just 27 attempts.

History doesn’t always repeat, but the Ravens seemed to return to form last Sunday; that’s not a good sign for Detroit. After a slow-moving first half, Baltimore dominated Cleveland and covered a 12-point spread by double digits. Their defense was particularly effective, allowing just 4.4 yards per pass to Joe Flacco.

Of course, Detroit was even more impressive in Week 2, obliterating the hapless Bears and posting a 52-point scoreboard in a loud response to their Week 1 failure. Detroit may not be of the exact same caliber this season, but they’re still good enough to stomp on opponents at home.  On the road will likely be a different story, especially against a Ravens’ team that gets to stay in Charm City, rest and refine their product for 2 weeks leading into this battle. Detroit is an above-average team, but the Ravens are a different animal in these scenarios.

Read our full Lions vs Ravens predictions for MNF