Three Underdogs Who Can Pull Of NFL Week 3 Upsets
Los Angeles Rams
LA Rams (+3.5) at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5)
The LA Rams will make the cross-country trip to Philly in a rematch from the 2024 NFC Divisional round playoffs. The Rams and Eagles both sit at 2-0 on the season, and even though the Eagles are the home favorites, the Rams are more than capable of pulling off an upset.
Through two weeks, the Rams rank among the top ten in offensive and defensive production. The Eagles currently have the 31st passing attack in the NFL, and the Rams’ pass rush, which currently ranks second in the league in sacks, will make it difficult for Jalen Hurts to get anything going in the air for Philly. Even though the Rams, for the most part, contained the Eagles’ passing offense last season, it was the ground game that gave the Rams more than they could handle
Saquon Barkley rushed for nearly 500 yards in two games against the Rams last season, which included multiple 60-plus yard runs. If the Rams can contain Barkley better, they can outright beat the defending champions and give them their first loss.
Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions (+5.5) at Baltimore Ravens (-5.5)
After coming off a 52-point offensive performance, the Lions will be put right back to the test, having to take on one of the AFC’s best in the Ravens. The Lions are rightful underdogs on paper, mostly because Lamar Jackson has a 24-2 record against the NFC as a starter for the Ravens. However, the Lions possess all the tools available to pull off an upset in Baltimore.
Detroit has the necessary firepower on offense to turn the game into a shootout if need be with the Ravens. Both teams rank third and first, respectively, in points per game. The Lions hold the edge on defense as they allow 24 points per game to Baltimore’s 29 points per game. The Lions will need to know that even if they come out of the gates slow and the Ravens build a lead, that doesn’t mean they are out of the game.
Week one shows that the Ravens are capable of blowing big leads, so if the Lions stay focused and if they happen to trail in the game, they have a good chance of making it a game and still leaving with a win.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys (+1.5) at Chicago Bears (-1.5)
The Cowboys have a good argument to be 2-0 right now. If it wasn’t for a couple of CeeDee Lamb drops in week one against the defending champions, the Cowboys would have a case to be 2-0. Dallas will head to Chicago to face an undermanned Bears defense. Quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Jared Goff both won NFL Offensive Player of the Week honors after playing against the Bears in back-to-back weeks, and Dak Prescott could make it a third week in a row.
The Cowboys’ defense is fresh off giving up over 400 passing yards to Russell Wilson last week, so the defense in Dallas isn’t anything to write about with either. However, Prescott is more than capable of doing what McCarthy and Goff did to the Bears defense, and that could be enough to move Dallas to 2-1 on the season.
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