Picking the spread: NFL week 3
Week two of the NFL season is in the bag, and if you're lagging behind in the pool it's never too soon to start looking ahead to week three. Here are four games that look like good bets, listed in order from sure thing to good bet, taking the Vegas spread
into account.
Steelers -2.5 @Bucs
The Steelers just lost quarterback Dennis Dixon, and are still without the suspended Ben Roethlisberger, which is why the spread is so low, favouring the Steelers by less than a field-goal. The Steelers will choose between veterans Charlie Batch and Byron
Leftwich to start at quarterback, but it doesn't really matter who plays. It's not like Dennis Dixon was a world-beater at QB, and the Steelers still got wins over the Falcons and Titans, two quality teams. Bucs second-year quarterback Josh Freeman played
well to lead his team to a win over the Panthers, but this Steelers defence is an entirely different proposition. The Steelers will use their suffocating defence and strong run game to win by at least a field-goal in Tampa.
The Pick: Steelers -2.5
49ers -2 @Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have had a fantastic start to the season. They followed up a massive win in the home opener against the Chargers by taking care of business in Cleveland to start 2-0. Meanwhile, the 49ers got blown out of the water in week one against
Seattle, before losing a heartbreaker on Monday night to the Saints. The 49ers can't start the season 0-3 if they want to take control of a division that's ripe for the picking, and they won't. The Niners match up well with Chiefs. They have an excellent
run defence which should slow down the Chiefs tandem of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, who are the heartbeat of that offence. The Niners just have more talent in more places, and I don't think they allow themselves to fall to 0-3. The Niners will win a
tight one to get their season back on track.
The Pick: 49ers -2
Chargers -5.5 @Seahawks
The Seahawks' week one rout of the 49ers was a red herring, don't let it distract you. That win was a product of a 49ers team in disarray, as well as the feel-good factor of Pete Carroll's first game in charge. The Seahawks will be brought back down to earth
by a Chargers team that needs to keep winning to recover from their own week one aberration, a loss to the Chiefs. The Chargers have a ball hawking defence that forced six turnovers in week two, and are playing against a Seahawks team that has turned the
ball over five times in two games. The Twelfth Man shouldn't be a factor with Philip Rivers under centre for the Chargers, one of the top quarterbacks in the league and at the top of his game. The Seahawks have allowed over 500 yards passing over two weeks,
and haven't faced a QB as good as Rivers yet. The Chargers are just a much better team all over the field. The Chargers should win by a couple of scores.
The Pick: Chargers -5.5
@Dolphins -1.5 Jets
UPSET SPECIAL!! The Dolphins are favoured narrowly over the Jets at home after victories over the Buffalo Bills, and a team that starts a 40-year-old at QB despite him not showing up to training camp. The Dolphins have had trouble scoring so far this season,
and there's no reason that shouldn't continue against an excellent Jets defensive unit. The Jets could be without Darrelle Revis, but have Antonio Cromartie to match-up with Brandon Marshall. You never really know what you're going to get from Mark Sanchez,
who looks really tentative some of the time, and makes all the plays other times. He'll have a lot of confidence after a big win against the Pats, as will the whole team. The Jets will have to deal with the distraction of a Braylon Edwards DUI, but could
actually benefit from being away from home, and the New York media. This should be a really good, close game, but the Jets are just a little more battle hardened at this point, and will come away with a hard fought win.
The Pick: Jets +1.5
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