Week 3 of the NFL season arrives on Monday morning in Australia with the early stages of the new campaign already producing plenty of surprises. Buffalo and Kansas City are among the teams to make perfect starts, while several preseason contenders already find themselves under pressure after beginning 0-2. With another huge slate ahead, we have three feature games to break down along with our best bets across the rest of Monday's action.
Our feature games begin with Justin Herbert and the winless Chargers facing a brutal road assignment against Josh Allen and the 2-0 Bills. The Cowboys and Ravens then meet in Brazil in one of the most intriguing games of the week before the Rams travel to Denver for Sunday Night Football.
NFL Week 3 Monday Betting Tips
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills
3:00am AEST
The Chargers have endured a nightmare start to the season, falling to 0-2 after consecutive 26-14 defeats. Justin Herbert threw two interceptions in last week's loss to Las Vegas, although there were some positives on the ground as Omarion Hampton rushed for 94 yards. Los Angeles now faces an enormous challenge travelling across the country to Buffalo, with the Chargers needing a considerable improvement on both sides of the ball to avoid an 0-3 start.
Buffalo could hardly have started the season better. The Bills moved to 2-0 with a 41-31 victory over Detroit as Josh Allen accounted for five touchdowns and James Cook III added another 135 yards on the ground. Buffalo has now scored 77 points across its opening two games, demonstrating the offensive balance that makes this team so difficult to defend when Allen is operating at his best.
Prediction: Buffalo is laying more than a touchdown, but everything we have seen through two weeks points towards a considerable gap between these teams. The Chargers have managed just 28 points for the season while Buffalo has almost tripled that total, and a trip across the country to face Allen is hardly an ideal place to rediscover some form. We'll back the Bills to continue their perfect start and cover at home.
Bills -7.5
$1.91 (1.5 Units)
Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys
6:25am AEST
Baltimore heads to Brazil sitting at 1-1 after a disappointing 24-17 defeat to New Orleans in Week 2. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry still give the Ravens one of the most dangerous rushing attacks in football, but Baltimore enters this matchup with some injury concerns, including wide receiver Zay Flowers. The Ravens have still been efficient moving the football and should find opportunities against a Dallas defence that has been far from convincing through the opening fortnight.
Dallas responded strongly to its opening-week loss by defeating Washington 34-17, with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offence showing far more of what was expected entering the season. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens present a significant challenge for a Baltimore secondary that had problems slowing Chris Olave in Week 2, while Dallas should be confident of turning this game into an offensive shootout if it can protect Prescott.
Prediction: The neutral venue in Rio removes much of the traditional home-field advantage for Dallas, but we're more interested in the total than picking a side. Both offences have enough explosive talent to punish defences that have shown vulnerabilities through the opening two weeks. With Prescott, Lamb and Pickens on one side and Jackson and Henry on the other, we'll back this game to produce plenty of points.
Over 52.5 Points
$1.92 (3 Units)
Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos
10:20am AEST
The Rams bounced back strongly from a disappointing opening week by comfortably defeating the Giants 28-6 on Monday Night Football. Matthew Stafford remains the key to the offence, but Los Angeles has also received excellent production from its backfield. Kyren Williams has rushed for 126 yards at 5.5 yards per carry through two games, while Blake Corum has added 133 yards at an even better six yards per attempt.
Denver also responded from a disappointing opener to get its season back on track in Week 2. The Broncos overcame a slow start against Jacksonville, scoring 17 unanswered points to take control of the contest and move to 1-1. Denver's defence remains one of its major strengths, but its run defence will be tested by Williams and Corum after struggling badly against Kenneth Walker III in its opening-week loss to Kansas City.
Prediction: Denver is always a difficult place to visit, but the Rams look well equipped to attack one of the Broncos' early weaknesses. Los Angeles has averaged better than five yards per carry through both Williams and Corum, giving Sean McVay the opportunity to establish the run before allowing Stafford to attack through the air. With the line sitting below a field goal, we'll back the Rams to cover on Sunday Night Football.
Rams -2.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
Other Tips
Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns: Carolina Panthers -2.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville Jaguars -2.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
New York Jets at Detroit Lions: New York Jets +6.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts: Indianapolis Colts +2.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins: Miami Dolphins +10.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Tennessee Titans at New York Giants: New York Giants -2.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders: Seattle Seahawks -7.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco 49ers -7.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints: New Orleans Saints -3.5 ($1.90 at Dabble)
