NFL Odds: Three Underdogs Who Could Pull Off Week 3 Upsets
Something's gotta give in Nashville this weekend
Underdogs have been kept quiet through two weeks of the NFL season, but that could change in Week 3.
While underdogs have covered at a 58.1% rate so far, outright wins unsurprisingly have been tougher to come by. Dogs have outright won 11 of 32 games through the first two weeks.
Looking ahead to Week 3, that could start to change. There are eight road favorites on the slate, and 11 of 16 games have point spreads of five points or less.
Here are three underdogs to circle as potential upset winners in Week 3.
(+3) Houston Texans at Chicago Bears
If home-field advantage is good for about a field goal, this line tells us we’ve got two relatively equal teams. Neither is good, don’t get us wrong. But the Texans have been a pain in the butt through two weeks, tying Indianapolis and then giving Denver all it could handle. They’ve turned it over just once through two games, which is encouraging, and it’s that sort of ball security that can travel. This also feels like the sort of game in which the Texans’ young defense won’t be overly exposed by a Chicago offense that really has no passing attack. Also, maybe a Lovie Smith revenge game?
Las Vegas Raiders at (+2) Tennessee Titans
So maybe the AFC isn’t as deep as we all thought as this game went from a potential playoff preview to a matchup of two winless teams fighting for their season before October even starts. This one might be a bit of a tractor pull with both offensive lines having their own respective issues, especially with the Titans losing tackle Taylor Lewan. But the Titans are 20-9 against the spread as underdogs of a field goal or more under Mike Vrabel. The number isn’t quite there (yet), but it does speak to Vrabel’s ability to rally his team. They’ve been a bit unlucky this season, too, already having lost three fumbles, and a weird special teams gaffe swung their game Monday night. Nothing looks good for the Titans right now, but if there ever were a spot for them to turn in an inspired effort, this has to be the spot ? right?
San Francisco 49ers at (+1) Denver Broncos
The Broncos have fallen pretty hard in just two weeks, going from trendy Super Bowl pick to a home underdog against a backup quarterback. That’s overstating it slightly, of course, but a lot of this feels a bit overreaction-y. Denver has not looked good in its two games, but it sounds like the Broncos could have both receiver Jerry Jeudy and cornerback Pat Surtain on the field Sunday night. Nathaniel Hackett has been a rough ride so far, but the Broncos still shouldn’t be underdogs at home — at least not yet.
