I went 8-8 against the spread last week.

We are starting to get some much-needed information to become more informed bettors. The issue this week comes from all the injuries that occurred to important players. There are a lot more unknowns than I was expecting this week.

There are a few players out there that could be game-time decisions this week. Some reports say that Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo could play on Sunday. Keep an eye on injury reports this week for updates.

Can Seattle QB Russell Wilson lead the Seahawks to a cover against the Cowboys?

We pick every NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets in Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season.

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) – My pick is Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were underrated coming into the season. It stems from them trading CB Jalen Ramsey and LB Yannick Ngakoue in the last ten months. They still have some studs like linebackers Myles Jack and Josh Allen and a budding shutdown corner in rookie CB CJ Henderson. Many also had a questions about QB Gardnew Minshew. The Jaguars passing offense should have a lot of success against a below-average Dolphins secondary. Also, if the Dolphins fall behind, I don’t see QB Ryan Fitzpatrick being able to move the ball in large chunks through the air. He will need a huge game from TE Mike Gesicki to keep this one close. I’m taking the Jags to cover on Thursday night.

Washington Football Team at Cleveland Browns (-7) – My pick is Cleveland Browns

I had to do some extra work to handicap this game. Both of these teams have had at least one underwhelming game through the first two weeks. The Browns were smoked by the Ravens in Week 1 and the ‘Footballers’ were never in the game against the Cardinals last week (yes, I’m calling Washington that from this point on). The Browns had a sizeable lead last Thursday against the Bengals, but couldn’t stop Cincy in the fourth and lost against the spread by a point. Cleveland tried to limit turnovers by taking the ball out of QB Baker Mayfield’s hands by running the ball 35 times. I expect a similar gameplan since they did get the outright win last week. If they can just keep Mayfield from trying to do too much, they are a good team. The Browns pass rush should hinder Footballers QB Dwayne Haskins from having much success. I’m taking the Browns to cover at home.

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots (-6) – My pick is New England Patriots

The Raiders looked really good against the Saints on Monday night. They were able to run the ball with RB Josh Jacobs and the Saints secondary didn’t have an answer for TE Darren Waller. The Patriots were unsuccessful with a goal-line attempt late in their loss to the Seahawks. Patriots QB Cam Newton nearly threw for 400 yards and realized WR Julian Edelman is a useful weapon. He targeted him all game and nearly beat the Seahawks. I’m picking the Patriots here because I think head coach Bill Belichick will have an answer for TE Darren Waller. If they can double-team him, their corners are good enough to deal with the Raiders wide receivers in single coverage. Newton will have another solid performance and New England will cover at home.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers (-4) – My pick is Pittsburgh Steelers

The Texans are 0-2 on the year, but they faced two of the best teams in the NFL to start the year. It doesn’t get much easier this week against the Steelers, who have the second-best offense in the league. The Steelers are a powerhouse with their stacked young receivers and a backfield of James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. (who can step in and the offense doesn’t miss a beat). The Texans are still trying to figure out their offense without WR DeAndre Hopkins. I don’t see a huge blowout win by the Steelers, but they should cover a four-point spread.

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) – My pick is Tennessee Titans

The Vikings have looked underwhelming in their first two games. They weren’t very competitive in their loss to the Colts last week. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has been well below average and their defense is nowhere near the same skill level as their previous squads. All eyes were on Titans RB Derrick Henry after the late-season surge he had a year ago. It has actually been QB Ryan Tannehill that has been the reason they are 2-0. He has been efficient and accurate in the redzone. They are currently 0-2 against the spread, but they’ve missed covering by a point or two in both games. The Titans are a much better team and their defense will cause more headaches for Cousins. I’m taking the Titans to cover.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons (-3) – My pick is Atlanta Falcons

I mentioned this in my fantasy football article this week, but Falcons QB Matt Ryan is playing his best football right now. He has so many receiving weapons, but his defense hasn’t done him any favors. They faced two solid offenses (Dallas and Seattle) and should have a much easier time against Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears are undefeated on the year, but their opponents have been below average. They needed a big comeback to beat the Lions and they squeaked out a victory last week against the Giants, who lost RB Saquon Barkley early in that game. The Bears have some stars on defense, but they aren’t deep enough to defend against the pass. I’m taking the Falcons to cover at home.

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) – My pick is Cincinnati Bengals

The Eagles have been pretty darn bad this year. I think a lot of that comes from their lack of an offensive line. They didn’t allow any sacks last week against the Rams, but Eagles QB Carson Wentz didn’t have any time in the pocket. They were able to successfully run the ball with RB Miles Sanders, but Wentz only has two touchdowns and four interceptions on the year. The Bengals nearly came back on the Browns last Thursday. Bengals rookie QB Joe Burrow threw three touchdowns and passed for 316 yards. The Bengals don’t have much of a pass rush, but they will still pressure Wentz enough to cause problems. Burrow’s use of his tight ends could be the key to keep this one close, so I’m taking the points.

Los Angeles Rams at Buffalo Bills (-2.5) – My pick is Buffalo Bills

I wasn’t high on Bills QB Josh Allen coming into the year. He just missed too many passes late last year and I didn’t think he could improve this much in one offseason. The Bills have the #1 passing offense right now and Allen adds to the yardage with his legs as well. The Bills defense is young and fast, but we haven’t seen a huge performance from them yet. This could be a big statement win if they can dominate the Rams, which is a huge task. Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back wins against NFC East opponents. They are also 2-0 ATS and overshot the betting line by 20 points last week in their dominant win over Philly. This could be close to the line, but I think the Bills defense will make a few big plays to secure a cover at home.

San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants (+4.5) – My pick is San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have dealt with a litany of injuries this season. They lost QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle, RB Raheem Mostert and DE Nick Bosa over their first two games. It appears that Kittle should play on Sunday and there’s a chance that Garoppolo could suit up as well. The Giants lost their biggest weapon for the season when RB Saquon Barkley tore his ACL last week. They signed RB Devonta Freeman to help out, but he can’t fill the large void of Barkley’s absence. I’m sure the Giants could be a trendy pick here due to all of the Niners injuries, but they are still a talented team. Even if QB Nick Mullens need to start, he showed that he was good enough to play in this league the last time Garoppolo missed time in 2018. I think the Niners will still edge over a cover on Sunday.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts (-11) – My pick is New York Jets

The Colts are coming off a strong 28-11 win at home against the Vikings. Minnesota didn’t play well and the Colts were able to run the ball down their throats. The Jets lost 31-13 to a banged-up Niners team last week. The Jets are struggling with their own injuries with RB Le’Veon Bell and WR Jamison Crowder missing last game. The reason I’m taking the points in this game is because the Colts aren’t flashy. I they have a lead, they are going to run the ball and win the time of possession game. They are dealing with injuries to TE Jack Doyle and WR Parris Campbell, so they are short-staffed in the passing game. Also, after the interceptions QB Philip Rivers has thrown this year, a conservative approach of running the ball has served them well. I think the Jets could score late in garbage time and spoil the cover, so I’m taking the points.

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5) – My pick is Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are coming off a 23-20 overtime loss to the defending Super Bowl champions. They started rookie QB Justin Herbert after starting QB Tyrod Taylor had his lung punctured by a team doctor before kickoff.. Herbert threw for 311 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his debut. He was helped by a strong running game and the Chargers pass defense. It appears that Tyrod Taylor may not be healthy enough to play on Sunday, so Herbert is looking like the probable starter in this game. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn noted that there is no quarterback controversy as when Taylor is 100 percent healthy, he’ll remain the team’s starting quarterback. The Panthers were dealt a huge blow when they lost star RB Christian McCaffrey to a high-ankle sprain that will cost him 4-6 weeks. They are coming off a lost to the Bucs which saw QB Teddy Bridgewater throw for 367 yards, but threw two costly interceptions. He could have issues with interceptions against the Chargers stingy secondary. I’m taking the Chargers to cover at home.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos (+6) – My pick is Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I really don’t want my hate of QB Jeff Driskel to sway my choice in this game. Longtime readers of this site may remember my tirades back when Driskel was at University of Florida and after he transferred to Louisiana Tech. It could have became a meme at one point. I have to admit that he isn’t a horrible backup quarterback (Denver signed one of those this week). The Broncos biggest issue right now is their atrocious offensive line. Driskel won’t have much time to think on Sunday. Tampa Bay bounced back after a Week 1 loss in New Orleans. They beat the Panthers 31-17 and Carolina even made RB Leonard Fournette look good. I can’t say that Bucs QB Tom Brady looked like his old self though. He has started slow the last few years, so this could just be a continuation of that trend. I think he will improve on last week’s game and cover in Denver. It helps that he should have WR Chris Godwin back in this game.

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks (-5) – My pick is Seattle Seahawks

Get ready for a shootout in Seattle on Sunday. We will see two plentiful passing offenses against struggling pass defenses. This game could come down to the last two drives in the fourth quarter. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson might be the best quarterback in the league right now. He can hurt you in so many ways and he’s so efficient. The Cowboys are coming off a huge comeback win against Atlanta. They outscored the Falcons 30-10 in the second-half. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw for 450 yards and had four total touchdowns (one passing and three rushing). The reason I’m taking the Seahawks here is that they have safety Jamal Adams. He should help the pass defense enough to make a couple stops on Sunday. This game should be close to the line, but I’m taking Seattle to cover at home.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals (-5.5) – My pick is Arizona Cardinals

The Lions haven’t been very good this year, but they are expecting to get WR Kenny Golladay back this week. This should help QB Matthew Stafford who just can’t seem to connect efficiently to wide receivers Danny Amendola and Marvin Jones Jr.. Golladay’s big frame will help Stafford out as he has connected on all nine balls he’s thrown to TE T.J. Hockenson this year. The Cardinals are a much better team after trading for WR DeAndre Hopkins. Second-year QB Kyler Murray is more free tuck and run if there’s another receiving weapon defenses need to worry about. The Lions secondary has went through some changes (for the worse) over the last 12 months. I don’t know if rookie CB Jeff Okudah has enough experience to deal with Hopkins. Lions CB Desmond Trufant is dealing with a hamstring issue and CB Amani Oruwariye can’t hang with Hopkins. I’m taking the Cardinals to cover on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (-3) – My pick is Green Bay Packers

On paper, this looks like a super competitive game pairing two of the best teams in the NFL. I don’t it quite see that playing out that way on Sunday night. The Packers have easily covered both their games so far. Green Bay is leading the league in total offense and are rushing for 208 yards per game. The Saints defense were able to hold off Tom Brady in his Bucs debut in Week 1, but were picked apart by Raiders QB Derek Carr on Monday Night Football. The Packers offensive line can just destroy opposing teams and it doesn’t really matter who they line up in the backfield, Green Bay can run the ball non-stop if they wish. The Packers secondary is a talented group and should hold their own against a Michael Thomas-less receiving corps. I’m taking the points in this game.

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (-3) – My pick is Baltimore Ravens

This should be a fun game to watch. The Chiefs offense has yet to show the sort of pop that led them to a Super Bowl ring last year. They are coming off an overtime win in Los Angeles (Chargers) last Sunday. The Ravens are showing us why they are a Super Bowl contender this year. They destroyed the Browns in the opener and then followed that up with a 17-point win in Houston. They have the firepower on offense that I expected to see from the Chiefs this year. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has shown improved passing ability and has been helped by a trio of running backs. The Ravens could do damage on the ground against any team in the NFL. I know rookie RB J.K. Dobbins doesn’t get many touches, but the dude has done the most with the few times his number has been called…and he’s technically the third-string back. The Chiefs have struggled against the run this year. I think that will be the key to the Ravens covering in this game.

*These picks are for entertainment purposes

Sweetbob’s NFL picks against the spread record in previous seasons:
2013: 133-95-10
2014: 131-114-9
2015: 150-108-9
2016: 143-120-13
2017: 144-115-16
2018: 141-118-13
2019: 159-119-7
2020: 19-13-0

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob