NFL Week 3 Predictions: Initial Vegas Odds, Lines, Spreads and Projections

The NFL season is a mere two weeks old, but the small sample size won’t stop pigskin fans from testing their luck in Las Vegas in Week 3.

The Week 3 slate features a number of intriguing battles, and bettors don’t have to wait long for a contest loaded with storylines. The New England Patriots and Houston Texans square off on Thursday in a showdown that pits division winners from a season ago against each other and a stout Texans defense against a Patriots offense with health question marks.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Eagles face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Keystone State battle, the Minnesota Vikings square off against the defending MVP and the Carolina Panthers, and the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals play in a contest that could have playoff implications down the line.

With that in mind, here is a look at the initial odds and a projection for each game. Point spreads are courtesy of Odds Shark as of Monday at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Houston’s Defense Will Hand New England its First Loss

The Patriots are 2-0 and always on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders, but the injury concerns are starting to pile up.

Tom Brady is still suspended for his role in the Deflategate scandal, and superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski has not played yet because of a hamstring injury. The Patriots listed Gronkowski as inactive for Sunday’s contest against the Miami Dolphins.

What’s more, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday filling in for Brady, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald said “the Patriots know he won’t play Thursday night against the Texans, per [a] source.”

Howe also reported the injury was a sprained AC joint that sometimes take one or two weeks to heal.

Jacoby Brissett entered Sunday’s game for Garoppolo and finished 6-of-9 for 92 yards with zero turnovers, but he wasn’t able to mount enough sustained drives to work significant clock. The Patriots were ahead 31-3 at one point in the third quarter but barely hung on for the 31-24 victory. That type of finishing stretch won’t be enough against Houston’s daunting defense.

The Texans gave up 14 points in Week 1 to the Chicago Bears and sacked Jay Cutler five times, per ESPN.com. They were dominant again in Week 2 in a 19-12 win over the Kansas City …

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