And just like that, we're roughly two weeks into the 2024 regular season. The second week of the year saw several notable upsets as underdogs owned the slate. New Orleans went into Dallas and throttled the Cowboys, the Bucs beat the Lions at Ford Field, and the Vikings defended their home turf against San Francisco as some of the central underdog stories of Week 2.
So, what does Week 3 have on deck? Below, we will take our first look at the third week of the regular season and get our impression on the early lines to see if there is anything they can tell us about who the oddsmakers initially see coming out on top.
Week 3 early odds
(All lines via SportsLine consensus odds; all games on Sunday unless noted)
| Game | Early Line | Early Total | Early Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
Jets -6.5 | 37.5 | Patriots +242, Jets -302 | |
Colts -1.5 | 43.5 | Bears +101, Colts -121 | |
Steelers -2.5 | 36.5 | Chargers +113, Steelers -134 | |
Buccaneers -6.5 | 39.5 | Broncos +257, Buccaneers -326 | |
Titans -2.5 | 37 | Packers +123, Titans -145 | |
Texans at Vikings | Texans -2.5 | 45.5 | Texans -135, Vikings +115 |
Browns -6.5 | 38.5 | Giants +242, Browns -303 | |
Eagles -2.5 | 48.5 | Eagles -138, Saints +117 | |
Raiders -7 | 38 | Panthers +269, Raiders -339 | |
Seahawks -5.5 | 42 | Dolphins +208, Seahawks -256 | |
49ers -7.5 | 45.5 | 49ers -351 Rams +276 | |
Lions at Cardinals | Lions -3 | 51.5 | Lions -164, Cardinals +138 |
Ravens at Cowboys | Ravens -1 | 47.5 | Ravens -115, Cowboys -105 |
Chiefs -4.5 | 46.5 | Chiefs -229, Falcons +188 | |
Bills -6 | 46.6 | Jaguars +222, Bills -273 | |
Commanders at Bengals (Monday) | Bengals -8 | 48 | Commanders +311, Bengals -397 |
Notable movement, trends
Patriots at Jets (Thursday)
The Patriots are getting a little respect from the oddsmakers coming into Thursday's matchup at MetLife Stadium. This number opened at Jets -7 but has since dropped below the full touchdown threshold to Jets -6.5. New England is 1-0-1 ATS thus far on the young season, while the Jets are 1-1 ATS. The total for this game has dropped considerably, as it was 42.5, and now stands at 37.5. The Over is 1-0-1 for New York through the first two weeks, while it's 1-1 for the Patriots.
Bears at Colts
Only slight movement here when it comes to the spread, as the Colts moved to a 1.5-point favorite after opening as a single-point favorite. Both of these teams are coming off losses on the road, with Chicago falling to Houston on Sunday night, while the Colts dropped their matchup against the Packers as a road favorite. Last season, Indy was 4-5 ATS at home but 2-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Chargers at Steelers
The Steelers are 2-0 ATS and SU this season and are now getting some love from the oddsmakers. While they were favored at the open for this Week 3 matchup with the Chargers, it was only by a point. Now, they are nearing a full field-goal spread with the line at Steelers -2.5. Still, the Chargers are also 2-0 ATS and SU and won't be heading back to Los Angeles before this game as they'll stay on the East Coast.
Broncos at Buccaneers
Faith is starting to fall by the wayside for Sean Payton's offense under Bo Nix, and the Bucs seem to be building momentum following their Week 2 upset in Detroit. Tampa Bay has gone from a 3-point favorite to a 6.5-point favorite over Denver. The Bucs are 2-0 ATS in 2024 but will look to improve from a 2023 ATS where they were 2-3 as a home favorite.
Packers at Titans
This line has been impacted by the injury to Jordan Love from Week 1. Initially, the Packers were a 4-point favorite, but it's Tennessee who is now a 2.5-point favorite at home. Malik Willis was able to help lead Green Bay to a straight-up victory over the Colts in Week 2 despite being a home underdog. Meanwhile, Will Levis continued to be a bit careless with the football in their Week 2 loss to the Jets. Now, Tennessee is 0-2 ATS on the year as well as straight-up.
Texans at Vikings
Minnesota is one of the surprise teams of the early portion of the season. Through two weeks, the Vikings are 2-0, both straight-up and against the spread. The latest win came at home against the San Francisco 49ers, who are largely viewed as the best team in the conference. That start has led the line to move, albeit not to the point where they are the favorite in Week 3. The Texans, fresh off a "Sunday Night Football" win over Chicago, are a 2.5-point favorite after this number initially opened at Texans -4. Houston is 0-1-1 ATS through the first two weeks of the year.
Giants at Browns
The New York Giants will be a popular fade every week, it seems, this season, and the number is moving away from them yet again. The Cleveland Browns were a 5.5-point favorite to open, and that has since started to creep toward a full touchdown as the spread sits at 6.5. The Giants are 0-2 ATS, while Cleveland is 1-1 ATS.
Eagles at Saints
This line may change following the events of Philadelphia's Monday matchup with Atlanta, but the line currently sits at Eagles -2.5. This is a slight change from the full field goal they were laying as the road team for Week 3 at the open. This could be partially due to the hamstring injury A.J. Brown suffered last week that has him sidelined for this matchup against the Falcons, but it likely has more to do with the stellar start to the season the Saints are enjoying. Alvin Kamara piled up five touchdowns in a blowout win over the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday to move New Orleans to 2-0 SU and ATS.
Panthers at Raiders
Carolina is another team that will be essentially an auto-fade until proven otherwise. The Raiders, who upset the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, are now a touchdown favorite over the Panthers after the line opened at Raiders -4. The Panthers are 0-2 SU and ATS to begin the season and have scored a total of 13 points through two games.
Dolphins at Seahawks
The Seahawks are now a 5.5-point favorite as they gear up for a home matchup against the Dolphins. This is a rather dramatic swing, as Miami opened as a 2.5-point favorite for this head-to-head. Of course, the latest concussion suffered by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Thursday against Buffalo is the catalyst in this swing in the odds. With Tagovailoa likely out for the foreseeable future, Skylar Thompson is slated to start for Miami.
49ers at Rams
The Rams are another team that has seen the injury bug take a substantial bite out of them so far this season. Along with offensive line injuries and Puka Nacua landing on IR, fellow receiver Cooper Kupp went down in Week 2 due to an ankle injury. Those ailments that have begun to pile up are also seeing the line move. The 49ers opened as a 4.5-point road favorite, and now that has ballooned to a 7.5-point spread in this NFC West matchup. San Francisco is coming off a Week 2 loss on the road to the Vikings, where they were the favorite.
Lions at Cardinals
A small but notable swing here as the Lions are now a 3-point favorite over Arizona after this line initially opened with Detroit laying the hook at 3.5. The Cardinals have been solid to begin the season as they went toe-to-toe with the Bills in Week 1 (albeit in a loss) and just torched the Rams at home in Week 2. That has them at 2-0 ATS on the season. Meanwhile, the Lions just dropped their home matchup to the Bucs. Last season, Dan Campbell's team was 5-1 ATS as a road favorite.
Ravens at Cowboys
Both Baltimore and Dallas suffered surprise defeats at home in Week 2. The Ravens couldn't fend off the Raiders, while the Saints marched into AT&T Stadium and blew doors off of the Cowboys. In this Week 3 matchup, Baltimore is a slim 1-point road favorite over Dallas. Last season, Baltimore was 3-2 ATS as a road favorite, while the Cowboys were never a home dog in 2023.
Chiefs at Falcons
Similar to the Eagles number, this game could change based on what happens on Monday with the Falcons. Still, this line has moved after the Chiefs opened as a field goal favorite. Now, the defending champions are a 4.5-point favorite as they gear up for a road matchup in Atlanta. Kansas City narrowly defeated the Bengals in what was a flat performance for Andy Reid's team. One area of concern for the Chiefs could be the running game, as back Isiah Pacheco did suffer a leg injury that could sideline him for a bit. This will be the first road matchup of the year for the Chiefs. Last season, the club was 6-3-1 ATS away from Arrowhead.
Jaguars at Bills (Monday)
Buffalo is now a 6-point favorite after opening as a 4.5-point favorite in this Week 3 matchup against Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 1-1 ATS on the season, and their lone cover did come on the road. The Bills did not cover in their home opener and were so-so at Highmark Stadium last season, owning a 5-5 ATS record in 2023.
Commanders at Bengals (Monday)
The Bengals have ballooned to an 8-point favorite over the Commanders after this line opened at Cincinnati -6.5. In the loss to Kansas City, the Bengals offense did look much better than it did in the opener against New England, but they are still 0-2 straight-up on the year. Washington is 1-1 ATS on the season, but that cover did come against the Giants.