Best Player Prop Bets for NFL Week 3
Two weeks into the NFL season, bettors now have a better idea of each NFL team’s identity and capabilities. For every bet on Derrick Henry this season (0-2 on the year), bettors have missed out on the Puka Nacua opening the season in record-setting fashion while easily besting his over/under receiving yards prop bets.
What are the best player prop bets for NFL Week 3? We’ve selected the top five bets to make this week based on each team’s matchup to give bettors a chance to make up for the bad losses you’ve encountered this season.
Josh Jacobs OVER 71.5 Rushing Yards
When your team plays the NFL’s worst rushing defense, RBs will be licking their chops. That’s what is exciting Las Vegas RB Josh Jacobs and his offensive linemen as the Raiders host the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime Sunday evening.
Jacobs has had a disappointing season thus far, limiting expectations for the fifth-year veteran. After a middling 48-yard rushing performance against Denver in the opener, Jacobs was completely stymied by the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, losing two yards on his nine carries.
Although averaging 60 yards total per game this season, expect Jacobs to break out of his slump against the Steelers.
Kirk Cousins OVER 290.5 Passing Yards
Likewise, the NFL’s worst pass defense – the Los Angeles Chargers – head north to face Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings.
After surrendering a season-worst 466 yards to Miami in Week 1, the Chargers allowed Titans QB Ryan Tannehill to surpass his career average with nearly 250 yards through the air last Sunday.
This week, Cousins and the second-best passing offense in the NFL get their shot at the Chargers. Minnesota is loaded with WRs Justin Jefferson and first-round draft pick Jordan Addison, and adding TE T.J. Hockenson to the mix has made the Vikings a lethal pass-happy offense. Expect Cousins to easily surpass his over/under yardage total in Week 3.
Nico Collins OVER 53.5 Receiving Yards
Despite having rookie QB C.J. Stroud under center, Houston is not afraid to pass. Stroud is third in the NFL with 91 pass attempts through the first two games, and the Ohio State product is completing over 63 percent of those attempts.
Stroud’s top target through two games is WR Nico Collins. The third-year veteran has caught 13 of his 20 targets for 226 yards to start the 2023 season.
Jacksonville is susceptible through the air, having allowed another rookie – Colts QB Anthony Richardson – to complete 65 percent of his passes in their Week 1 matchup. Expect Stroud to look to Collins multiple times in Week 3, giving the WR plenty of chances to exceed his over/under receiving totals.
Jerome Ford OVER 44.5 Rushing Yards
After RB Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury Monday against Pittsburgh, the Browns were in the market for a strong runner to complement Jerome Ford. On Wednesday, Cleveland announced it came to terms with Kareem Hunt on a one-year, $4 million deal.
Hunt will immediately have a role in the Browns’ offense, especially with his familiarity with Cleveland’s offense. Sportsbooks set the rushing yards total for Ford too low for this game, overestimating Hunt’s initial performance with the Browns.
While Hunt is – and will be soon – an integral part of Cleveland’s offense, it’s still too soon to expect Ford’s role to be diminished against Tennessee.
Kyren Williams OVER XX.X Rushing Yards
After the Rams traded Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings Wednesday, the Los Angeles RB situation became crystal clear: second-year athlete Kyren Williams would be the starter moving forward. Williams rewarded the Rams for their decision last week, posting a 100-yard performance Sunday against the 49ers.
After earning 52 rushing yards each of the last two weeks, Williams is in line for a breakout day against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Through two games, only the Pittsburgh Steelers are worse at defending the run than the Bengals.
Expect Williams to exceed his over/under total on the ground (and especially on prop bets combining receiving yards) against Cincinnati.
Ernie Horn
Sports Betting Contributor
Ernie is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He spent those early years working as a sports reporter and editor, but made the move back to the digital world in 2022. Ernie covers college football and NFL betting for Hello Rookie.
