Week 3 of the NFL season has only five home dogs, including the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and the Houston Texans hosting the undefeated Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
The Rams host the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs in OG’s Game of the Week, but early money is on Tom Brady and the Bucs. The Rams opened as a slight favorite at -1.5, but the line flipped with Tampa -1.5.
The Lions, Jaguars, and Vikings are all seeking their first wins of the season and hope to avoid an 0-3 hole.
| NFL Week 3 – Home Dogs |
| TNF: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans | HOU +8 |
| Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions | DET +8 |
| Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars | JAX +7.5 |
| Tampa Bay Bucs at LA Rams | LAR +1.5 |
| Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings | MIN +1.5 |
In Week 2, home dogs posted a 3-4 record against the spread. Overall this season, NFL home dogs are 7-6 ATS.
TNF home dog: Texans
If you like situational betting, then this week’s Thursday Night Football game checks a lot of boxes. The Texans (1-1) enter Week 3 as a +8 home dog on a short week with a rookie quarterback making his first-ever pro start. Tyrod Taylor injured his hamstring in the first half of last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. Davis Mills, a rookie out of Stanford, finished the game. Davis will get his first career start against the Carolina Panthers tonight. It’s a short week of preparation too.
The Panthers (2-0) were a home dog last week against the New Orleans Saints, but won outright 26-7. Now they’re a sizable road favorite. Sam Darnold looks like an All-Pro quarterback with the Panthers after Adam Gase nearly ruined his career with the New York Jets. The Panthers are one of five teams that are 2-0 ATS, along with the Texans. Yes, that’s correct. The Texans are also 2-0 ATS to start the season.
Home cats: Lions and Jags
The Baltimore Ravens pulled off a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night football. Lamar Jackson and the high-octane Ravens (1-1) head to the Big D to take on the Lions (0-2). The Lions come into Week 3 as a +8 home dog. On Monday Night Football, the Lions led 17-14 at halftime against the Green Bay Packers, but were shut out in the second half (21-0) and lost 35-17.
If Trevor Lawrence hasn’t regretted playing for Clemson in his senior season, he will soon enough. The sad sack Jacksonville Jaguars are the worst team in the NFL once again. Urban Meyer is 0-2 so far this season and he’s a long shot to secure his first pro victory against the Arizona Cardinals (2-0). The Jags are +7.5 home dog, or home cat if you’re a cat person that likes to gamble on football.
The Jags are one of five 0-2 ATS teams in the league. So far, it’s been a profitable venture to fade them betting-wise, and in survivor pools.
Swing games: TB/LAR, SEA/MIN
The Rams (2-0) opened as a small favorite against the Bucs (2-0), but they’re now a home dog. If the Rams expect to secure a berth in the Super Bowl and win the NFC Championship, they’ll have to beat the Bucs at some point. Matthew Stafford gets his first taste of what it’s like to play in a big game with a showdown against Tom Brady. I’m shocked this game isn’t a Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football matchup because it’s Game of the Week material.
Keep an eye on this line because it should swing back and forth between now and game time. For now, the Rams are a +1.5 home dog at SoFi Stadium, and it’s rare to see the Rams bunched together with other home dogs. The Bucs are trying to contain a COVID outbreak with three members on the reserve list, including Antonio Brown.
The Seattle Seahawks (1-1) lost a tough game at home last week against the Tennessee Titans. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks fly out to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings (0-2). The Vikings (0-2) lost both of their games by a combined four points, including a 34-33 thriller against the Arizona Cardinals after blowing a 20-7 lead.
Seattle opened Week 3 as a -2.5 favorite, but the line has moved thanks to early money backing the Vikings. The Vikes are now a +1.5 home dog as they seek their first win of the season.
