Team NESN is a part of the historic Las Vegas Westgate SuperContest this season.
Betting analyst Sam Panayotovich and digital content editor Mike Cole are teaming up to pick five weekly NFL games against the point spread. Each winning selection receives one point and ties earn a half-point. The guys went 3-2 in Week 2 and are tied for 504th place out of 1,968 entries.
The betting lines are released every Wednesday, and selections are due by Saturday afternoon.
Here are Sam’s and Mike’s picks for Week 3 of the SuperContest:
San Francisco 49ers -3.5 vs. Green Bay Packers
MC: In the past, we’ve seen Kyle Shanahan completely pick apart the Packers’ defense. The Niners are averaging more than 30 points in their last three meetings, and that includes a glorified Thursday night scrimmage last year when injuries and COVID had ravished San Francisco. And while it is early, we haven’t seen much out of the Packers’ defense — especially in the middle front seven — that makes us think they can stop even an injury-depleted San Fran backfield. Shanahan will find the advantageous matchups and make Green Bay pay.
Miami Dolphins +4 at Las Vegas Raiders
SP: Unlike most people, I don’t have a drop-off from Tua Tagovailoa to Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. In fact, I like Brissett’s arm more. The Dolphins were shellshocked when Tagovailoa went out, and Brissett clearly didn’t have any rhythm with the starters. The offense should look a lot smoother Sunday, and the Dolphins D is still solid. The Raiders were underdogs in their first two games and now they’re favored by four?!? I’m not buying that overreaction at all.
New York Giants -3 vs. Atlanta Falcons
SP: You hate it. Your buddy hates it. Everybody hates it. So I kind of like it. The Giants are literally a few plays away from being 2-0. That isn’t exactly the most-convincing case in the world, but you’ve gotta be bold in these contests from time to time. One Las Vegas bookmaker told me Wednesday night that his sportsbook had written 100 bets on this game, and 93 were on Atlanta. So I’ll fade the public underdog.
Cleveland Browns -7 vs. Chicago Bears
MC: The Bears’ offensive line had itself a decent Week 1 performance, but that was against Cincinnati. It’s a much-stiffer test this week with the Browns’ pass rush. Justin Fields will make his first career start, and while the highlights are undeniable, he was far from impressive last week, with an unsightly 6-for-13 showing with a pick for good measure. Might be a day of growing pains for the otherwise promising rookie.
Washington Football Team +7.5 vs. Buffalo Bills
SP: We’re getting a bloated number here for a couple reasons. Buffalo blasted Miami 35-0, and Washington should’ve lost to New York. I don’t believe the Football Team’s defensive line is nearly as amazing as some pundits do, but their offense has the tools to be efficient enough against Buffalo’s secondary. If Taylor Heinicke can throw Terry McLaurin open a few times, we’re live to cover.
RECORD: (5-4-1, +5.5 points)
