In theory, NFL Week 3 predictions in 2022 should be a little easier than they were in Week 2. We now have two weeks’ worth of information when making NFL Week 3 picks, so we should be getting more accurate with them.
Of course, the first two weeks of the season have been wild and unpredictable, so making NFL Week 3 predictions for the 2022 season come with no guarantees.
NFL Week 3 predictions 2022
Whether you want NFL Week 3 picks against the spread or just NFL Week 3 picks straight up, we want to help.
We’ve crunched the numbers as best we can and picked out five games we feel good about. With that said, here are our five best NFL Week 3 picks (all odds courtesy of FanDuel on September 20th).
Chiefs vs Colts
Could the Colts possibly be as bad as their results the first two weeks say they are? As the saying goes, teams are never as bad as they seem when they’re at their worst. That being said, the Colts have looked dreadful during the first two weeks.
That makes this a bad time to be playing the Chiefs. Even if Indy gets a little boost from the crowd, a spread of 6.5 points doesn’t seem like enough to warrant how poor the Colts have played.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs already look like a team that’s in midseason form. Kansas City struggled early in the 2021 season, but that’s not been the case this year. Patrick Mahomes is yet to improve his NFL MVP odds in a significant way, but he hasn’t exactly looked any different with a new set of receivers brought in to replace Tyreek Hill.
They’re also getting just enough from their running game and defense. It would take a drastic turnaround from the Colts to keep pace with Kansas City for 60 minutes, which is why our Week 3 NFL predictions in 2022 project a comfortable road win for the Chiefs.
- Pick SU: Chiefs (-290)
- Pick ATS: Chiefs -6.5 (-120)
Ravens vs Patriots
The Patriots may not be the most talented team in the league, but there should be no doubt that Bill Belichick is going to make this team a pain to play against. They won last week in Pittsburgh thanks to a strong defensive effort and the game-management skills of Mac Jones. That may not win a Super Bowl, but it’s going to make the Pats competitive in most of their games, especially their home games.
Keep in mind that this will be New England’s home opener, making the defense even more difficult to face. Even on the road, they were able to hold the Dolphins to 20 points the week before this Baltimore team gave up 42 points to Miami.
Speaking of the Ravens, they let one get away from them last week, blowing a two-touchdown lead in less than a quarter. Between Lamar Jackson’s performance and the game beginning with a kickoff return for a touchdown, a lot went right for Baltimore last week before the fourth quarter.
The Ravens can’t expect similar fortune this week on the road against a tough New England team. The Ravens might have enough to pull out a win, but covering the spread could be another issue.
- Pick SU: Ravens (-114)
- Pick ATS: Patriots +3 (-106)
Bengals vs Jets
The Super Bowl hangover appears to be a real thing for Cincinnati. It’s not just that the Bengals have started the season 0-2, it’s that they lost to two teams that they should have beat. Luckily for them, the Jets are another team that they can beat, or at least they better beat because the schedule is about to get much more difficult.
With that extra urgency, Joe Burrow will rise to the occasion and make the plays he needs to in order to win the game.
But don’t write off the Jets just yet after last week’s comeback win in Cleveland. Joe Flacco will get at least one more week as the starter and has been connecting well with his wide receivers.
Granted, the Jets have some holes defensively. But coming off a big win on the road, the Jets are going to come out fighting at home and play with some confidence, especially against the 0-2 Bengals. That should help them stay within striking distance and at least beat the spread.
- Pick SU: Bengals (-235)
- Pick ATS: Jets +4.5 (-105)
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Jaguars vs Chargers
This is one of our most confident NFL Week 3 predictions in 2022. Despite their loss to the Chiefs last week, the Chargers have been impressive early in the season. Justin Herbert’s injury labeled him as day-to-day and not week-to-week, so he should be good to go, especially with the Chargers having a little extra time between games.
Also, it’s important not to overlook the Los Angeles defense, which held its own against the Chiefs last week and forced three turnovers and six sacks in Week 1 against the Raiders. That’s another key to the Chargers getting back to their winning ways.
Despite a nice win last week, the Jaguars probably don’t have the firepower on either side of the ball to hang with the Chargers for 60 minutes. Trevor Lawrence might be ready to take a step forward this year. But that doesn’t mean he’s capable of out-dueling Herbert.
He probably doesn’t have the same caliber of playmakers around him either, which is why the Jags will struggle to stay within a touchdown when all is said and done.
- Pick SU: Chargers (-295)
- Pick ATS: Chargers -7 (-106)
Packers vs Buccaneers
The Tampa defense has been the biggest star for the Bucs through two games. With three sacks, a forced fumble, and the team lead in tackles, Devin White has done wonders for his NFL DPOY odds. The rest of the defense has chipped in seven sacks, giving the Buccaneers 10 sacks in two games.
That’s made life easy for Tom Brady, who hasn’t looked that good early in the year. But as long as the Tampa defense keeps playing at a high level, Brady will do enough to get the job done.
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In fairness, facing Aaron Rodgers will be no easy task for the Bucs. However, the Green Bay offense is still a work in progress with new receivers coming aboard and older receivers growing into new roles.
It’s easy to see things not quite clicking for the Packers, especially on the road. Even if Rodgers does enough to stay close, the Bucs should have enough defensively to pull out a win and cover a field goal.
- Pick SU: Buccaneers (-142)
- Pick ATS: Buccaneers -2.5 (-110)
