Betting on preseason NFL games is always a crap shoot, but none more than the final test before the season kicks off. With clubs having most position battles determined at this point, Week 3 of the NFL preseason is merely a formality before the real games begin. You can expect to see most regulars on the bench when the games begin on Thursday, but several teams still have decisions to make at the most important position likely giving them an edge on the betting line.
Unlike previous seasons when every team finished the preseason slate on the same day, the league takes a different approach this year. At least two NFL games will be played over four straight days beginning Thursday with a pair of matchups. Interestingly enough both visiting teams opened as a 3-point favorite. The 49ers are laying a field goal in their matchup with Houston. Both teams are 2-0 SU and ATS. The Packers visit Kansas City with both teams 1-1 SU and ATS.
The betting week concludes on Sunday with the battle for New York taking place in New Jersey. And the final game of the 2022 preseason has the Steelers as a 4-point favorite over Detroit. Betting options for every game on the NFL schedule are available at BookMaker.eu.
NFL Preseason Week 3 Schedule and Odds
Thursday, August 25, 2022
Green Bay Packers ( -3, 36 ) at Kansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers ( -3, 41.5 ) at Houston Texans
Friday, August 26, 2022
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers ( -6, 42 )
Seattle Seahawks ( -3, 40 ) at Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints ( -1, 37 )
New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders ( -1, 38 )
Saturday, August 27, 2022
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals ( -2.5, 38 )
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns ( -5, 38 )
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans ( -3, 38.5 )
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins ( -2.5, 38 )
Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens ( -6.5, 40 )
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts ( -5.5, 40.5 )
Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos ( PK, 38 )
Sunday, August 28, 2022
New York Giants ( -1, 38.5 ) at New York Jets
Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers ( -4, 38.5 )
There is a competition in Pittsburgh for Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement and rookie Kenny Pickett isn’t making the decision an easy one. The first round pick had another strong game in a win over Jacksonville and will likely see reps Sunday night against the Lions. With Mitchell Trubisky having the upperhand in the battle, at least the Steelers have depth at the position with Mason Rudolph still around. QB depth is a big factor when betting exhibition games making the Steelers a good pick as a 4-point home favorite.
There’s been one constant in the always evolving atmosphere of preseason football, that’s the Baltimore Ravens. It’s been six years since they lost a preseason game stretching their winning streak to 22 with a 24-17 decision in Arizona. The Ravens covered the 5.5-point spread improving to 20-2 ATS in that stretch. In a sign that the betting markets are catching up, the Ravens are the biggest favorite on the Week 3 board laying 6.5 points to Washington in the Beltway Battle.
We talked about the QB battle in Pittsburgh and there’s something brewing in Seattle as well. Trading Russell Wilson opened the spot with Geno Smith and Drew Lock involved in the competition. Lock was scheduled to get some reps last week against Chicago but came down with COVID putting him in isolation. He didn’t play in the 27-11 loss and while Smith and Jacob Eason had decent numbers, the Seahawks were shutout for nearly three quarters. Lock will play “a lot” according to Pete Carroll and could have a big game against Dallas’ backup defenders.
The Browns need some closure at the QB spot now that they know Deshaun Watson will miss 11 games. Jacoby Brissett is the presumed starter with Josh Dobbs showing he’s ready to join the fray. What that means though is that Josh Rosen will see plenty of action before being released or signed to the practice squad. Cleveland is giving the Bears 5-points and I don’t see the Browns doing much offensively behind Rosen making Chicago a good play.
What has been a bit of a surprise is the amount of points being scored in the preseason. While betting the OVER wasn’t as profitable in Week 2 as it was in Week 1, there were still some big games against the adjusted totals. Teams were 8-8 on the over/under in Week 2 after the OVER cashed in 13 of the 16 games in Week 1. Favorites were 11-5 SU in Week 2 but just 7-7-2 ATS proving the old adage that if you’re in doubt take the points.
Making money on preseason games requires some effort and waiting is always a plus since information about a team’s game plan is usually revealed closer to kickoff. The biggest thing to note is if and how long coaches plan to play starters, which will be huge in Week 3 since you can expect to see a lot of regulars in street clothes.
