Fantasy Sports Nation: Week 3 NFL Picks

2012 NFL Picks (YTD regular season picks aggregate): 14-14-2
2012 NFL Picks (YTD regular season 'unit picks' aggregate differential): (-10)

2012 NFL Picks (YTD regular season 'exotics' differential): (-2)

2012 NFL Picks (week 1): 6-9-0
2012 NFL Picks (week 2): 8-5-2

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2012 NCAA Picks season aggregate: 3-0-0
2012 NCAA 'unit picks' aggregate: (+3)

*all picks 'ATS' (against the spread)

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PREVIEW: I managed to come back a little last week, but I'm still down on the year in terms of UNIT picks... If you're wondering why the UNITS are very sparse, it's because of the refs situation... I'm not playing much in terms of real action until some REAL NFL refs start officiating games...

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WEEK 3 NFL PICKS

THURSDAY GAMES

New York Football Giants at Carolina Panthers

Line: Panthers by 3

I had the Panthers here who totally #&^t the bed... I don't even want to talk about it... Write it off...

PANTHERS for (2 units)...

SUNDAY EARLY GAMES

St. Louis Rams at Chicago Bears

Line: Bears by 7.5

After week 2 in the NFL, everyone wants to totally write off Jay Cutler because of a a lackluster performance (on a short week ~ & on the road) against one of the best teams in the NFL...

Meanwhile... the Rams were able to squeak out a win against the latest 'GOD' RG3 & the Redskins after the Skins went down with 3 key injuries during the game & a ridiculous unsportsmanlike conduct penalty which forced a 63 yd FG attempt at the end of the game...

Whatever...

BEARS for (2 units)...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys

Line: Cowboys by 8.5

Dallas should not be favored by 8.5 here, but I'm going to go ahead & say that that they'll cover (against trends that don't favor teams covering in their home openers vs. teams that are on their 2nd straight road game)...

COWBOYS for (0 units)...

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings

Line: 49ers by 6.5

Yeah ~ We all know the total awesomeness of the 49ers... I'm still yawning, but you can yawn & still put a whoopin on Minny...

49ERS for (0 units)...

Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans

Line: Lions by 3.5

This seems like a trap line to me... The Titans stink... CJ4YDS is complaining about his blocking (maybe if he were to divvy up his multi-million salary to his O-Line a little they'd block a little better)...

Still ~ I can't put any money on the Lions until they show me some awesomeness...

LIONS for (0 units)...

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Redskins

Line: Redskins by 3

This is the third in a bunch of games where the VISITOR is playing their 2nd straight game on the road (which usually helps)... I'll say that with the Redskins missing some key personnel here, the trend favors the Bengals

BENGALS for (1 unit)...

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

Line: Jets by 2.5

Do or die for the Jets?... Already?... I havn't heard the latest, but if Tim Tebow is playing QB, it's not forgotton the 15 point 4th quarter comeback he managed on this field last year with the Broncos...

JETS for (1 unit)...

Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints

Line: Saints by 8

Both teams started 0-2 (which gives 'either', about a 12% chance of making the playoffs)... Oddly ~ I picked the Saints to NOT make the playoffs this year & predicted the Chiefs to win the AFC West...

That's going to be tough to think to fit my prediction, the Chiefs have to come away with a victory here in the Superdome... But...

CHIEFS for (0 units)...

Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns

Line: Bills by 3

I picked the Bills to be a playoff team, while picking the Browns to have one of the worst records in football... The Browns haven't really looked that bad & the Bills rebounded nicely off the miserable loss to te Jets in Week 1...

The Bills still should not be laying points to anyone (on the road) though...

BROWNS for (0 units)...

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

Line: Colts by 2

These contests have been historically close (within a margin of 8 points)... However, most of that was in the Peyton Manning era (which meant that 'getting' double digit points with the Jags was a good proposition)... 2 points doesn't mean much...

COLTS for (0 units)...

LATE GAMES

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

Line: Eagles by 3

The Eagles have turned the ball over 8 times in 2 weeks... Michael Vick was running for his life last week vs. the Ravens & the Eagles came out of that game rather bruised...

I can't help but think that the Cardinals will try and muster some of that 2009 NFC Championship mojo on this field & look for the upset here... I'm contemplating making this my NFL PICK OF THE MONTH (but I'll go for 4 units now)...

CARDINALS for (4 units)...

Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers

Line: Chargers by 3

The Falcons have looked fairly decent in the first two weeks & Mike Smith doesn't have a bad record on the West Coast, but something is gnawing on me about this game... My first inclination was to take the Falcons (when in doubt ~ take the points), but if the return of Ryan Matthews can help the Chargers to control the pace of the game, then the Chargers have a shot... Willis Maghee had a rather formidable night against Atlanta (even after Denver was down after 3 Peyton Manning picks in the first quarter)...

CHARGERS for (0 units)...

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos

Line: Texans by 1.5

Here's another 'over-reaction' game... All I heard all week was about Peyton Manning's decreased arm strength... What a bunch of bullshit... Manning eventually got it together & got the game to within one score after a horrendous start in a building that's hard to win in...

Houston (as I said last week), is coming off the most cupcake of schedules to begin the season with in the NFL...

I expect them to find it much harder to win in Denver & I'm calling for the upset...

BRONCOS for (3 units)...

Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders

Line: Steelers by 3.5

The Steelers are going to be without Troy Polamalu & James Harrison (which is why this line hs been moved down)... I think that's a gift... It's still hard to muster offense vs. Pittsburgh & Carson Palmer is finished as a QB (except for the junk fantasy stats that he might put up here & there)...

STEELERS for (2 units)...

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL