6 NFL predictions for the Week 3 Pepsi Prediction Challenge

DraftKings is currently offering five free prediction-style games, and Week 3 brings the latest NFL contest. The Pepsi Prediction Challenge asks for eight predictions during each week of the NFL season.

Each week there is a $5,000 prize that top scorers will split. The player with the most points at the end of the season wins the grand prize, which DraftKings describes as “win a trip for two to the Big Game!” You get one point for each correct answer and two points for correctly answering the Pepsi Zero Sugar question of the week.

Each week, I’ll be answering the questions and offering up some thoughts on each of my choices for six of the questions. You can play along here. And feel free to drop your predictions in the comments.

How many total passing + rushing yards will Lamar Jackson record in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs?

• Under 270 passing + rushing yards
• 270-320 passing + rushing yards
• Over 320 passing + rushing yards

Jackson had 330 total yards in Week 1, and then 392 in Week 2. He faces a Chiefs defense that did fairly well against Oakland, but struggled against Jaguars quarterbacks Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew. That being said, this is a step up in competition for the Ravens as a whole. They’ll want to work to control the clock, which could mean more opportunities for Mark Ingram and the other running backs. If the Ravens are for real, maybe they stun KC behind Jackson on offense and their stout defense. However, I feel like we see some turnovers by Jackson as the offense struggles to maintain pace with the Chiefs. I’m taking 270-320 total yards, but if you think the Ravens can spring the upset, take the over.

How many total points will be scored in the Week 3 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs?

• Under 50 total points
• 50-60 total points
• Over 60 total points

DraftKings Sportsbook has the point total was installed at 55, thus right in the middle of this. I’m going with that 50-60 option because I think we ended up seeing a final score of something like 37-21, give or take. The Chiefs are going to put points on the board, and I just wonder if the Ravens can hang with them throughout. Baltimore comes up short as the game wears on and the Chiefs continue looking strong.

How many total passing yards will Josh Allen record in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals?

• Under 210 passing yards
• 210-250 passing yards
• Over 250 passing yards

Allen threw for 254 yards in Week 1 and 253 yards in Week 2. He now faces a Bengals defense that held Russell Wilson to 195 yards in Week 1, and then gave up 297 yards to Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 2. Kyle Shanahan’s play-design was a big part of Garoppolo’s day. Allen has shown improvement this year, but I think the ground game will be the difference for them this week.

How many total receiving yards will Julio Jones record in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts?

• Under 80 receiving yards
• 80-105 receiving yards
• Over 105 receiving yards

This might be the toughest question of the week. Jones had 31 receiving yards in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings and then 106 this past week against the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, 54 of those yards came on his game-winning touchdown catch and run at the 2:10 mark of the fourth quarter. It’s not an outlier given his skillset, but it’s worth noting.

The Colts gave up 123 receiving yards to Keenan Allen in Week 1, while the Titans leading pass catcher in Week 2 was tight end Delanie Walker with 39 yards. Wide receiver Corey Davis only had 38 yards receiving. Allen is decidedly better than Davis, while Jones is better than both of them. I’m tempted by under 80 receiving yards, but 80-105 seems like a safe play.

How many total receiving yards will Chris Godwin record in Week 3 against the New York Giants?

• Under 60 receiving yards
• 60-85 receiving yards
• Over 85 receiving yards

Godwin has had a solid first two weeks, securing 53 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the 49ers, and then 121 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 against the Panthers. He gets an atrocious Giants team in Week 3, which bodes well for fantasy hopes up and down the Bucs roster. I suspect this is a game that sees O.J. Howard finally break out, and in the end we see the ball split a little more evenly among the wide receivers. I’ll go with 60-85 yards for Godwin.

“Pepsi Zero Sugar Bonus question” — How many total interceptions will Dak Prescott record in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins?

• Zero
• 1 INT
• More than 1 INT

The Dolphins stink in just about every facet of the game, and have zero interceptions through two games. Dak Prescott threw one last week against Washington. Through the first three seasons of his career, he threw four, 13, and eight interceptions. An interception sometimes just takes a little bad luck, but given how bad Miami is, the safe play would seem to be zero picks.

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