Patriots Open Week 3 As Huge, Double-Digit Favorites Against Lowly Raiders
The New England Patriots head into Week 3 hosting their first home game of the 2014 season. The Oakland Raiders will visit the Patriots, who are the heaviest favorite of the week. New England opened as 14.5-point favorites, and according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com the line has already moved to anywhere from 15 to 16 points.
According to the OddsShark NFL Database, New England has gone 10-20 against the spread in their last 30 games as a double-digit favorite. They played 23 of those games at home, and were 7-16 ATS in those games.
The Raiders are 1-5 ATS in their last six games, but 7-3 ATS in their last ten games on the road. As double-digit underdogs, they’re 17-13 ATS in their last 30 games, and 13-10 in their last 23 road games as a double-digit underdog.
The early schedule features some big conference matchups, in addition to a couple of big divisional matchups. In the AFC North, Cleveland hosts Baltimore with the line even. According to OddsShark.com, a higher percentage of money is coming in on Baltimore than any other team at the moment. The NFC East features a matchup between Washington and Philadelphia with the Eagles 7-2-1 ATS in their last ten games, while Washington is 3-7.
The AFC slate also features Buffalo and San Diego, with the surprising first-place Bills a 1-point favorite. Both teams are on a bit of a roll, with Buffalo 8-2 ATS in its last 10 home games, and San Diego 5-0 ATS in its last five road games.
The late schedule includes a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII, as the Seattle Seahawks host the Denver Broncos. This potential Super Bowl XLIX preview has the Seahawks currently 5-point favorites; the line opened at Seahawks giving 3.5 points and has quickly moved up.
Two other NFC West contenders square off as the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals host the 1-1 San Francisco 49ers. The Niners have opened as 2-point favorites, in a game that could see the Cardinals without starting quarterback Carson Palmer. The veteran QB is dealing with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder and sat out Week 2 with Drew Stanton getting the start.
“Sunday Night Football” features two fairly hot teams. Carolina is a 3-point favorite over Pittsburgh. The Panthers are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games, and 13-2 straight-up. The Steelers are 7-3 ATS in their last ten games. Of course, they are also 7-14 ATS in their last 21 road games.
Week 3 wraps up with the New York Jets hosting the Chicago Bears. The Jets are 1.5-point favorites, but neither team has been particularly hot against the spread. The Jets are 3-4-2 ATS in their last nine games, while the Bears are 6-16-1 ATS in their last 23 games.
