NFL Odds: Familiarity Makes Underdog Picks Tricky In Week 3

The NFL season has been kind to us (so far).

We would try to sell on why you should be paying attention to our underdog picks, but at this point, we don’t really have to. We’re 5-1, baby. It’s up to you to start riding this thing out.

There’s an almost 0% chance that we continue to win at a .833 clip, especially considering the lines will only get sharper as the season progresses. But we’re going to do our damnedest. The slate is a bit tough this week, but there are a few teams worthy of our attention. Let’s quit wasting time and take a look at the teams we believe can pull off upsets in Week 3.

(+2) New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
The Saints’ defense is kind of awesome.

New Orleans sits at 2-0 to start the season, and most of that credit can be attributed to a defensive unit that has allowed just 262 yards per game and has racked up seven sacks and four turnovers.

Green Bay picked up an easy win over the Chicago Bears in Week 1 but really struggled to pull away and eventually lost to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. In a road matchup, we’d expect the Saints to try and run the ball with great effect and limit the opportunities for the Packers to score. New Orleans will rely on rookie rusher Kendre Miller, who could steal it a win on the road with a solid game against a poor rush defense.

(+1) Los Angeles Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
We’d advise that you take the Over in this game, but that’s not what this series is about. So let us convince you why the Chargers can go on the road and beat the Vikings.

There’s no timetable for Austin Ekeler to return for LA, but that offense still has the capability to be one of the very best in the NFL when all is going right. The Vikings’ does, as well, but we think any high-scoring affair favors the Chargers. It’s a 1 p.m. ET game, though, so Kirk Cousins will probably be at his best.

(+2.5) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Steelers’ defense is definitely awesome.

Things were certainly exacerbated by Browns running back Nick Chubb’s injury last week, but Pittsburgh’s defense showed up and showed out against Cleveland. The Steelers scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the win, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they were able to do that again.

The Raiders have a fine enough offense but have combined to score 27 total points so far this season. That’s not going to get it done in this era of the NFL. This outcome will come down to whether or not the Steelers can score in the double-digits offensively, and we’re willing to bet they can.