NFL Preseason Week 3 Odds and Trends

It’s been a tough ride for favorites bettors so far through the preseason. Will that change in Week 3?

Taking a quick look at Week 2 results, the favorites were a lackluster 8-8 straight up and an even worse 6-9-1 ATS. It wasn’t a good week for the home teams either, as they stumbled to a 7-9 SU record and a 7-8-1 ATS mark.

Week 3 begins Thursday night with the Cleveland Browns hosting the Philadelphia Eagles as a 3-point favorite at Bovada Sportsbook. The Eagles have dropped three in a row SU and ATS in the preseason and as an underdog they’re 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10. The Browns had a five-game preseason winning streak snapped last week in losing to the Buffalo Bills 19-17 as a 3-point favorite. Cleveland did extend its UNDER streak to seven games, and the Browns are 13-0-1 UNDER in their last 14.

On Friday the annual preseason matchup between the New York Giants and New York Jets goes in New Jersey. It opened as a pick’em, but right now at Bovada Sportsbook the Jets are a 2.5-point home favorite. The last 10 preseason contests between the two New York teams have been split 5-5 SU and the Jets are 5-4-1 ATS. However, in the last six matchups in which they were designated the home team, the Jets are 1-5 SU and 0-5-1 ATS.

Pats have had preseason edge over Panthers

Also on Friday the New England Patriots visit the Carolina Panthers as a 1-point underdog. New England has been a bad pick in the preseason lately at 2-5 ATS in its last seven but that may change against Carolina. The Patriots have won four straight SU and ATS against Carolina in the preseason and they’re 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight.

Saturday is jam-packed this week, but the highlight may be the Houston Texans at the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are a 3-point favorite which may mean you want to take Houston, as Los Angeles is 0-8-1 ATS in its last nine as a preseason favorite. Houston is a solid 7-2 SU and 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine, and as the underdog the Texans are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last eight.

Closing out Week 3 on Sunday is the Arizona Cardinals at the Dallas Cowboys as a pick’em. Arizona is 2-0 SU and ATS in the preseason after upsetting the New Orleans Saints 20-15 as a 5-point underdog last week. Dallas is 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS and is coming off a 21-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals as a 3-point favorite. The Cowboys are a lousy 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight preseason games and they’re 0-3-1 ATS in their last four in the preseason vs Arizona.