Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets

Want to win your survivor pool? Who to take in Week 3

Breaking down the best strategies of how to win your NFL survivor pool, starting with who to pick in Week 3.

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With 2 crazy weeks of games in the rearview mirror, we look ahead to Week 3 and the NFL survivor pools which remain intact.

Many dreams have already been busted by the strange outcomes of the first 2 weeks. But for those of you left, we are going to continue to give you plays in hopes you make it to the end and win the final prize.

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

All games Sunday and ET unless noted.

The chalk: Los Angeles Chargers

Who they play: Home vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4 p.m.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars come into this game off another home victory over the Indianapolis Colts. After such a key victory in the division, the Jaguars must now travel across the country and play the Los Angeles Chargers and a banged-up Justin Herbert. Banged up or not, I still trust Herbert to win in this situation.

Since 2010, Jacksonville is 1-10 when playing in the pacific time zone. This includes a 0-2 record in 2021 when they lost to both the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks on the road. Jacksonville does not travel well. Their fans will not take over Sofi Stadium the way many road teams fans do.

If Herbert is healthy, this is my favorite play of Week 3.

FOOTBALL NEVER STOPS
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Off the board: Cincinnati Bengals

Who they play: At New York Jets, 1 p.m.

In a game the Bengals were supposed to win against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cincinnati Bengals came out and laid an egg on Sunday losing 20-17. While the defense has been good, the offense has been the issue.

Joe Burrow threw 4 INTs in the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and never quite got into rhythm against the Micah Parsons-led Dallas defense. A Jets defense, coming off giving up 30 poits to the Cleveland Browns and Jacoby Brissett, could be the cure for that which ails the Bengals.

WR Tee Higgins was limited in Week 2 after being concussed in Week 1. He will be a full go this week. Along with WR Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Mixon in the backfield, the Cincinnati offense should finally wake up against the Jets.

If the Bengals fall to 0-3, their chances of making the playoffs fall significantly. The Bengals also want to avenge a 34-7 loss to the Jets last season. For my ease, and the ease of an easy win, I hope this game gets out of hand early and we cruise to a victory.

[the_huddle]

Others to consider

Philadelphia Eagles: At Washington Commanders, 1 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens: At New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

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Want action on any of these games or any other sports matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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NFL Week 1 parlay: Let’s make some money

Assessing NFL Week 1 betting odds and lines, with predictions and picks for the best parlay bet to make.

Wagering on sports is something a lot of us enjoy. But what to place those bets on can be a challenging task to figure out.

Here, I am going to provide you with some plays each week to build a “Let’s make some money” parlay and hopefully help you increase your bankroll. As with all bets, winning is not guaranteed. It is also recommended not to put all these plays in one bet.

Sure, the payoff is higher, but so are the risks of a fluky play ruining an otherwise winning bet. With the help of Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the NFL Week 1 odds, odds, I give you some of my favorite 3 or 4 plays to build a parlay among our expert NFL picks and predictions.

Play to win $25K: USA TODAY NFL Survivor pool!

NFL Week 1 Let’s make some money parlay

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:53 a.m. ET. All games Sunday and ET unless noted.

Leg 1: Ravens -6.5 (-116) at Jets – 1 p.m.

The Ravens are fully healthy. For the first time in over 8 months, QB Lamar Jackson will be on the field for a regular-season game. The Jets on the other hand will be starting backup QB Joe Flacco against his former team.

With the Jets ailing and relying on a rookie RB in Breece Hall to be their offense, points are not looking plentiful for the home team. The defense, whose best player is also a rookie in CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, is also not likely to put up much of a fight in Week 1.

Although RB Gus Edwards (ACL injury), is still missing for the Ravens, RB J.K. Dobbins is back – though listed as questionable in the final injury report – and ready to run after recovering from his ACL injury.

As Dobbins fights his way through the Jets defense, Jackson will be connecting with the dual TE threat of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely as the Ravens try to get the pass game going before a game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

My feeling is this game ends with a double-digit Ravens victory, so I’ll take BALTIMORE -6.5 (-112) to start off any parlay.

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Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

Leg 2: Texans +7.5 (-120) vs. Colts – 1 p.m.

OK, the Colts are the better team here. They have the 2021 leading rusher in RB Jonathan Taylor, a stud WR in Michael Pittman and a solid QB in newly acquired Matt Ryan.

This type of offense could lead to the game getting out of hand. Despite this, I like the TEXANS +7.5 (-120) to cover this line at home.

Indianapolis tends to start the season slow. The Colts are 0-9 in their last 9 season openers, last winning in 2013. This includes a mark of 0-4 straight up (SU) and 0-3-1 against the spread (ATS) under coach Frank Reich.

The Colts’ game plan is usually centered around Taylor’s ground attack, which milks the clock and shortens the game.

On Houston’s side, new coach Lovie Smith will also want to run the ball, hoping to avoid any mistakes by QB Davis Mills. Training camp and preseason super star RB Dameon Pierce will get a significant amount of work.

With both teams attempting to run the ball and escape with a victory, points will not be free flowing. With points hard to come by, a large spread is not conducive to being covered by the favored Colts.

*-If you do not care to trust Houston to cover, I would consider the Under 45.5 (-105).

[the_huddle]

Leg 3: Packers +0.5 (-116) at Vikings – 4:25 p.m.

Games between these 2 division rivals are always close – not withstanding Green Bay’s 37-10 victory in Week 17 to finish a late season collapse by the Vikings. There also tends to be a bit of scoring in these matchups.

Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers is the best player on either team. Although WR Davante Adams in now with the Raiders and WR Allen Lazard is out with an injury, I still trust Rodgers to find a way.

In his last 4 games against the Vikings, Rodgers has a 13-0 TD to interception ratio. With the Packers’ offensive line back healthy, Rodgers will not only have time to throw, but he will also have time to get the ball to RBs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.

With Adams gone, there is a true chance Jones, not Lazard replaces him as WR 1 for Green Bay. With Jones managing more of the receiving work, Dillon will be the beast at the goal line. The Packers score. They also use clock. This will lessen the possessions for the Vikes.

Minnesota WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are a great 1-2 punch, but behind CB Jaire Alexander, Green Bay has one of the top secondaries in the NFL. Factor in the pass rush of DL Rashan Gary, Green Bay will do enough to come out with the victory, and with the line only being +0.5, all we really need is a victory.

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to win $63.31 (profit $53.31).

Try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator.

*-If you want to substitute one of the above, here’s another option:

Optional: Buccaneers at Cowboys OVER 50.5 (-105) – 8:20 p.m.

Dallas is great at home. In 2021, the Cowboys averaged 10 more points at home than on the road.

But this team is different. WR Amari Cooper (now with Cleveland) and DE Randy Gregory (now with Denver) are gone. OL Tyron Smith is out for most of the season with a knee fracture. The offensive line, once talented, is now a shell. OG Zack Martin is still the anchor, but he is not anchoring much right now.

For once, Dallas, the No. 2 scoring offense in 2021, will be forced to count on its defense. With stud LB Micah Parsons roaming the field, this could be a nice problem. But not against QB Tom Brady and Tampa Bay.

Brady is back and ready to go. Along with WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin (though questionable) and even Julio Jones, the offense will be loaded once again. Add in WR Russell Gage (also questionable) and the Buccaneers have a deep and talented group of WR ready to take Dallas by storm.

The point is, there should be a good amount of scoring from both sides. Both teams could get to the 30’s and Tampa Bay could go higher than that.

Adding OVER 50.5 (-105) to make this a 4-TEAM PARLAY: A $10 bet profits $113.46.

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More NFL Week 1 coverage

Want action on any of these games or any other sports matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Dominick Petrillo on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

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Want to win your survivor pool? Who to take in Week 1

Breaking down the best strategies of how to win your NFL survivor pool, starting with who to pick in Week 1.

NFL survivor pools, no matter what you call them, are fun to participate in. They are easy since you only pick one team per week. All the team has to do is win, no point spread involved.

But survivor pools are also difficult as you can only use a team once during the entire season. Not to mention, if you pick a team and it loses, you are eliminated.

The key is to pick teams which have the easiest path to victory each week. This does not mean using all the best teams first, though. If you do, you will be relying on teams which you don’t want to be counting on when it comes to crunch time at the end of the season. So, make sure to use your teams accordingly.

Don’t forget to look at trends as well.

For instance, the Indianapolis Colts (-7.5), who visit the Houston Texas Sunday, are the largest favorite of Week 1, according to Tipico Sportsbook as of Saturday, 1:23 a.m. ET. However, Indy hasn’t won a Week 1 game since 2013. In coach Frank Reich’s 4 seasons with the Colts, they are 0-4 straight up (SU) and 0-3-1 against the spread (ATS) in Week 1.

Are you sure you want to trust them and go against the trend?

Play to win $25K: USA TODAY NFL Survivor pool!

The chalk: Baltimore Ravens

Who they play: At New York Jets, Sunday 1 p.m. ET

Chalk or not, I am riding with the Ravens in Week 1.

Jets QB Zach Wilson is out for several weeks with a knee injury. Many might think this is a good thing as backup QB Joe Flacco could be better. I don’t agree. Not only is Flacco more than broken down at this point of his career, but he is also a statue.

Behind an offensive line without OT Mekhi Becton (out for the season with chip fracture in right kneecap) and his replacement Duane Brown (shoulder injury), the Ravens pass rush will be able to get into the Jets’ backfield. With CBs Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey in the secondary, the Ravens will also make it difficult for anything to get going for the Jets on offense.

On the other side of the ball, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson will not only run all over the Jets, but he will also use TE Mark Andrews and rookie TE Isaiah Likely to move the ball down the field. Jackson bet on himself by not signing a contract. I will bet on him and the Ravens to beat the overmatched Jets as -7.5-point favorites.

BALTIMORE IS MY FAVORITE SURVIVOR PLAY of the week. It will also be the most common play for many pools.

FOOTBALL NEVER STOPS
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Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

Off the board: Kansas City Chiefs

Who they play: At Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

There is likely to be a spot later in the season when the Chiefs will be a more popular pick than this week. Whether it be a game against the Seattle Seahawks or someone else, the Chiefs always get a lot of play in survivor pools.

So, why take them here against what could be a good challenge on the road?

WR Tyreek Hill is gone (off to Miami). But the Chiefs still have QB Patrick Mahomes as well as TE Travis Kelce. The Cardinals secondary is banged up, meaning WRs Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling should have big games in their Kansas City debuts.

On defense, the Chiefs lost CB Tyrann Mathieu (now with the Saints), but they drafted DE George Karlaftis to provide a pass rush alongside DT Chris Jones and DE Frank Clark. This will make a significant difference against a Cardinals team with a sub-par offensive line.

The Cardinals will also be without their best player in WR DeAndre Hopkins (6-game suspension for violating league’s PED policy) and fellow WR Rondale Moore (hamstring), who was downgraded to “out” as of Friday night.

I love the Ravens this week. But if you want to save them for later in the season – or you’re in a survivor pool where you must pick 2 teams – look toward the desert and Kansas City.

[the_huddle]

Others to consider

Philadelphia Eagles: At Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

San Francisco 49ers: At Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans: Home vs. New York Giants, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

More NFL Week 1 coverage

Want action on any of these games or any other sports matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Dominick Petrillo on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Access more NFL coverage:

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