It’s been a rough go for prime-time games through three weeks of the NFL season.
So far, it’s been almost exclusively blowouts and low-scoring slog fests. The fact that Cowboys–Giants wasn’t the worst prime-time spot of the week (I’m looking at you Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson) says a lot.
The league certainly hasn’t lacked excitement, though, and the upsets continued in bulk Sunday. Here’s hoping Dolphins-Bengals offers some excitement Thursday night.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
- Super Bowl odds risers and fallers
- Injury news and how to address it on the waiver wire
- Fantasy football Week 3 takeaways
- NBA title odds as training camps begin
Bills Still Clear Super Bowl Favorites Despite Defeat
It’s becoming increasingly clear the AFC West was perhaps more than a little overrated heading into the season. There were reasons to hype up a division that was already home to Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert and added Wilson and Davante Adams in the offseason. But that same mighty powerhouse also went 0-3 in Week 3 against the AFC South, which, to put it kindly, is decidedly not the best division ever.
Elsewhere around the NFL, the Dolphins scored a key win against Josh Allen’s Bills and the Eagles dominated Carson Wentz and the Commanders to become the league’s only 3-0 teams. Both saw sizable jumps in their Super Bowl odds at SI Sportsbook from last week as a result.
Here are some notable risers and fallers in Super Bowl odds, and you can check out the MMQB’s power rankings entering Week 4.
Risers
Super Bowl: +1200 → +900
Philadelphia’s defense held its opponent to less than 10 points for the second week in a row, not that it needed to the way Jalen Hurts has this offense rolling. The Eagles sacked Wentz nine times, outgained the Commanders 400-240 and showcased the depth of their weapons as DeVonta Smith exploded for 169 receiving yards.
Super Bowl: +2000 → +1600
Miami took sole possession of first in the AFC East and the AFC at large with an upset win against Buffalo. The Dolphins’ offense did not come close to what it did Week 2 against the Ravens but the defense made up for that by limiting the Bills to 19 points.
Super Bowl: +8000 → +6600
Can I get a Duuuuvaaaal? Jacksonville flew cross-country to L.A. and thoroughly dominated the Chargers on both sides of the ball in a statement win. Even though Herbert was not 100%, this victory put the Jaguars in sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
Fallers
Super Bowl: +5000 → +6600
Las Vegas made the playoffs a season ago and now faces the toughest uphill challenge to return. The Raiders are the only 0-3 team in the NFL following their two-point loss to the Titans and the Derek Carr-Adams connection has fallen off since the first game.
Super Bowl: +3300 → +5000
Three turnovers was too much for New Orleans to overcome on the road against Carolina. The Saints began their season with three consecutive division opponents and only have a one-point comeback win against the Falcons to show for it as injuries pile up at their skill positions.
Super Bowl: +4000 → +5000
Arizona is supposed to be at its best in the first half of the season and instead is off to a 1-2 start with the worst point differential (-25) in the NFC following its loss to the Rams. The Cardinals have the second-worst scoring defense and their offense simply cannot compensate.
Backup Running Backs Are Must-Haves on the Waiver Wire
Week 3 was not kind to starting running backs.
Dalvin Cook (shoulder), David Montgomery (ankle) and D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle) all left early Sunday and their backups each slotted in well.
Alexander Mattison spelled Cook for the Vikings and scored a touchdown, Khalil Herbert relieved Montgomery and was the highest-scoring running back of the week and Swift came into the game hobbled, which allowed Jamaal Williams to take full advantage and find the end zone twice.
Those three backup backs should be in line for expanded workloads for this week at least, and they headline Jen Piacenti’s Week 4 waiver wire pickups. And for the IDPers out there, Matt De Lima broke down which defensive players are worth an add.
For more on the week that was, read Michael Fabiano’s top 10 fantasy takeaways, the latest edition of my Good News, Bad News series and Matt Ehalt’s betting review, which captures all of the bad beats and big payouts.
More news of note: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was discharged from the hospital following a single-car accident Monday, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is likely to miss multiple games with a severe high-ankle sprain, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had stitches removed from thumb and could return in Week 5, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams will miss time due to a high-ankle sprain, Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater is expected to miss the rest of the season with a ruptured biceps tendon and Colts tight end Jelani Woods is emerging as a playmaker.
Celtics Own Best 2023 Title Odds as Training Camps Begin
Dozens of NBA teams hosted media days Monday, which gave players around the league the opportunity to talk up their new situations, let everyone know they’re in the best shape of their life and generally offer a positive outlook on the season ahead.
Unless, of course, you’re Spurs coach Greg Poppovich, who said: “Nobody here should go to Vegas and bet on this team to win the championship.”
Thanks for the honest assessment, Pop. San Antonio is +40000 to win the title at SI Sportsbook, and I think I’ll heed the hall of famer’s advice.
But that brings us to title odds talk with the Oct. 18 season opener quickly approaching. There was a flurry of offseason moves that shook up the championship picture but, as things currently stand, the top 10 teams with the best odds to win the championship are about what you’d expect with the two Finals teams from last season ranking first and second:
Celtics +500
Warriors +600
Bucks +650
Clippers +700
Nets +750
Suns +800
Lakers +1400
Heat +1400
76ers +1400
Nuggets +1800
I’ll be providing a more thorough preview of the NBA season from a betting perspective over the next few weeks, with in-depth looks at awards odds, team over/unders and more. In the meantime, you can find more NBA futures markets at SI Sportsbook.
In Other News
Expanded CFB Playoff Bracket Projection: A 12-team playoff is coming soon enough, so what would the playoff field look like through four weeks? Georgia, Ohio State, USC and Clemson are all in, and so is Kansas and James Madison. See the full explanation and who just missed the cut.
MLB Power Rankings Narrow as Playoffs Approach: Six teams have already clinched a spot in the postseason with a little more than a week remaining in the regular season. The Dodgers and Astros are still on top, while the Orioles and Brewers are fighting for their playoff lives.
Current College Football Bowl Projections: Oklahoma State supplanted Oklahoma in the playoff in the latest lookahead to CFB’s postseason and Kansas finds itself in New Year’s Six game. It’s been a wild season already and it’s only September.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! Remember to get those waiver claims and FAAB bids in. I’ll be back in your inbox Thursday morning. Until then.
