Week 3 brought plenty of success with my picks going 2-0-1. For the season, my record is now 4-4-1. Let’s try to get over .500 with the following three underdogs to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chiefs +1
The Buccaneers suffered their first loss of the season in Week 2, falling at home to the Packers. It was a low scoring, 14-12 game, and the Buccaneers were playing short-handed on offense. Mike Evans will be back from his one-game suspension this week, but the statuses of Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Julio Jones (knee) are still in question.
The Chiefs also lost in Week 3, falling on the road to the Colts. They only scored 17 points, and didn’t help their cause with an early fumble that resulted in a quick touchdown for the Colts. They scored 44 then 27 points their first two games, and with Patrick Mahomes at the helm, their offense isn’t one to be concerned about.
The strength of the Buccaneers defense is stopping the run, which is an area of weakness on the Chiefs offense. The Chiefs’ defense has also played well, though, allowing the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league. This could be a surprisingly low-scoring affair, but with the Chiefs entering as the healthier team, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pull off the road upset.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Cleveland Browns: Falcons +1
The Browns have taken advantage of a favorable schedule to start out 2-1 despite Deshaun Watson being suspended. The earned a narrow victory over the Panthers in Week 1 and dispatched the Steelers in Week 3. They would be 3-0 if not for an epic collapse in the final minutes of their Week 2 matchup vs. the Jets. What’s impressive is Jacoby Brissett has helped them score at least 26 points in all three games.
The Falcons are riding the high off their first win of the season, defeating the Seahawks by a score of 27-23 in Week 3. However, they also weren’t that far away from being 3-0. They blew a big lead to lose by one point vs. the Saints in Week 1, then they almost pulled off a huge comeback in Week 2, ultimately falling short and losing by four points on the road vs. the Rams.
Both the Browns and Falcons have been excellent running the ball, so expect the running game to take center stage in this matchup. With how tough the Falcons have played, and the limitations that the Browns have with Brissett under center, I’ll roll with the home underdog to cover.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: Jets +3
This is definitely not one of the more exciting matchups of the week. The Jets have mostly struggled to score with Joe Flacco under center, being held to 12 or fewer points in two of their first three games. Still, they have a 1-2 record, thanks to the aforementioned comeback win vs. the Browns. They should get back Zach Wilson (knee) for this game, though, potentially providing a jolt for their offense.
The Steelers have their own problems at quarterback, with Mitch Trubisky looking like he should be in a backup role. He didn’t throw for more than 207 yards in any of their first three games, and he has just two total touchdown passes. If he keeps this up, Kenny Pickett could find his way into the starting job sooner rather than later.
Even with Wilson returning for the Jets, neither team has an inspiring option at quarterback. This game has the makings of a defensive battle that could include multiple turnovers. In what might be a coin-flip game, I’ll take the points. If Wilson has improved from his rookie campaign, the Jets’ offense has the potential to be significantly more dangerous than the Steelers under Trubisky.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.