Ricky Dimon
Week 3 of the 2024 NFL regular season is on the immediate horizon, and it is shaping up to a fun one. Six division-rivalry showdowns are on the menu, while Monday Night Football features a blockbuster battle between the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
Make sure you check out our NFL predictions as we add our picks on the side and total for every game throughout the week – and throughout the entire season. Also make sure to check out our NFL best bets page for our top picks. For now, let’s break down the NFL Week 3 opening lines and give our best early bet to make.
NFL Week 3 opening lines and odds
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
- Miami Dolphins +12.5 (-105) vs Buffalo Bills -12.5 (-115) – Thursday Night Football
- Green Bay Packers -8.5 (-118) vs Cleveland Browns +8.5 (-102)
- Los Angeles Rams +3.5 (-110) vs Philadelphia Eagles -3.5 (-110)
- Indianapolis Colts -3 (-120) vs Tennessee Titans +3 (+100)
- Atlanta Falcons -4.5 (-115) vs Carolina Panthers +4.5 (-105)
- Pittsburgh Steelers -1.5 (-105) vs New England Patriots +3.5 (-115)
- Cincinnati Bengals +3 (-102) vs Minnesota Vikings -3 (-118)
- New Orleans Saints +7.5 (-110) vs Seattle Seahawks -7.5 (-110)
- Dallas Cowboys +1.5 (-112) vs Chicago Bears -1.5 (-108)
- Arizona Cardinals +1.5 (-115) vs San Francisco 49ers -1.5 (-105)
- Kansas City Chiefs -5.5 (-112) vs New York Giants +5.5 (-108) – Sunday Night Football
- Detroit Lions +5.5 (-105) vs Baltimore Ravens -5.5 (-115) – Monday Night Football
Best bet for NFL Week 3: Cincinnati Bengals +3 over Minnesota Vikings (-102)
It’s not every day when you can feel really good about either end of the spectrum in a game featuring backup quarterbacks for both teams, but Sunday is one of those days and this is one of those situations. Injuries to Joe Burrow and J.J. McCarthy will result in matchup between Cincinnati’s Jake Browning and Minnesota’s Carson Wentz. Browning has already had plenty of experience filling in for Burrow – including last week, when the Washington product led the Bengals to a comeback win over the Jaguars. Wentz is also experienced, but none of it has been good since 2019. In fact, the former North Dakota State standout will become the first QB in NFL history to start for 6 different teams in 6 consecutive seasons. There’s a reason why no one wants him to stick around, folks.
Even with McCarthy under center, the Vikings in their first 2 outings played 7 awful quarters of offense and 1 good quarter. They just barely managed to come back and beat the Bears in Week 1 but got blown out at home by the Falcons 22-6 this past weekend – and the score should have been even worse. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is 2-0. This team just looks like it knows how to win, even under adverse circumstances. The Bengals should probably win this one outright; getting a field goal is simply a steal.
We’ll have NFL picks for every game in Week 3!
