The story of the week 3 Survivor Pool is all about the humongous spreads.

Dallas and New England are over three touchdown favorites entering week 3. That’s massive. The majority of players are going to tab one of those two teams, but I do have a bit of caution to relay entering week 3. This was the same week that Minnesota caused many to lose last year in the Survivor Pool with its complete meltdown against Buffalo.

Do I see that happening again this year? No, but nothing is guaranteed in the week 3 Survivor Pool.

Teams Used: Philadelphia, Baltimore

It’s all about New England in the AFC for the Super Bowl 52 odds. Flickr/Keith Allison/http://bit.ly/1SWdqHP

Best Bet

New England Patriots

New England is scary efficient on defense. The Patriots are giving up just 4 yards per play, the best in the NFL. Unlike many teams with dominating defenses, that is paired alongside a top-10 offense.

That should worry every team in the NFL this season.

Between Dallas and New England, there’s not much separation with this week, with the Cowboys squaring off against the hapless Dolphins. However, I like the Patriots matchup better, going against a New York Jets team that is struggling on offense and now on their third-string quarterback. The defense also hasn’t been up to par, giving up big chunk plays and giving away the week 1 game against Buffalo.

Don’t overthink this week. Go with the big spread.

Sleeper Pick

Buffalo Bills

I’m high on the Bills. So maybe that’s why I’m banking my Sleeper pick on them.

Josh Allen has impressed me so far this year, showing growth that I didn’t expect. Buffalo hasn’t played great teams so far, but the Bills have won on the road and it wasn’t because of flukes. The Bills were by far the better team in both of those games.

The defense is dominating, giving up 4.5 yards per play, the third-best mark in the NFL. That goes along with an improving offense, averaging 5.8 yards per play, the 13th-best number in the NFL.

The Bengals showed in week 2 it still can’t play defense, so back the Bills to make another statement in their season’s first home game.

Be Careful

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are struggling with injuries, making it seem like the preseason hype may be on hold. When healthy, the Eagles should be considered one of the best teams in the NFL. However, with injuries to both sides of the ball, Philadelphia is showing some weaknesses.

This reminds of last year’s Falcons team, with plenty of talent, but injuries piling up. The Eagles had to cancel practice this week due to injury issues. That’s a major red flag.

And the Lions actually haven’t been that bad this season. Detroit outplayed Arizona for the majority of that game in week 1 and the defense stymied Los Angeles in week 2. This Detroit team may be better than many were expecting, so if you were going a different route than most, avoid the Eagles.

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