Jets unanimously chosen to beat Jets on Thursday; will Ravens or Cowboys get right?
NFL.com editors Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr will predict every game of the 2024 NFL season, using the unbeatable combo of football analysis and excessive punctuation. Check out their Week 3 picks below.
Analyst Record (Straight) Record (ATS) Solo YOLO (Straight) Solo YOLO (ATS)
Ali 21-11 (65.6%) 18-13-1 (58.1%) 1-0 (100%) 2-0 (100%)
Brooke 21-11 (65.6%) 16-15-1 (51.6%) 1-1 (50%) 2-3 (40%)
Dan 20-12 (62.5%) 16-15-1 (51.6%) NA 0-1 (0%)
Gennaro 15-17 (46.9%) 16-15-1 (51.6%) 0-6 (0%) 3-3 (50%)
Tom 21-11 (65.6%) 16-15-1 (51.6%) NA 0-2 (0%)
Consensus Picks 12-7 (63.2%) 5-3 (62.5%)
NOTES:
The lines provided by DraftKings are current as of noon ET on Thursday, Sept. 19 unless otherwise noted below.
* — Pick flipped after publishing.
** — Final score prediction changed after publishing.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
1-1
AT
New York Jets
New York Jets
1-1
WHERE: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video, NFL+
MONEYLINE: Patriots +225 | Jets -278
SPREAD: Jets -6 | O/U: 38.5
Ali Brooke Dan Gennaro Tom
Jets 22-15
Jets 22-18
Jets 23-14
Jets 22-17
Jets 21-18
Why Brooke picked the Jets: I’m not convinced the Jets are just going to flip a switch and be great — at least not this early in this season. I do think they will build off last week’s outing, in which they funneled the offense through running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. It’s a winning approach for New York, as the team is 8-1 when Hall has 100-plus scrimmage yards (5-12 in games he plays and does not). The Patriots have a simple formula under Jerod Mayo, combining a dominant, Rhamondre Stevenson-led ground attack with sound D to keep games close. I expect both defenses to force the opponent to win through the air. And though Aaron Rodgers has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game this season, do I really believe Jacoby Brissett and Hunter Henry (New England’s best pass catcher right now) will go into MetLife and fuel a win? No. Will I regret this pick, knowing the Jets have lost six straight Week 3 games and nine of their last 10? Again, no.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 22
New York Giants
New York Giants
0-2
AT
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
1-1
WHERE: Huntington Bank Field (Cleveland)
WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX
MONEYLINE: Giants +240 | Browns -289
SPREAD: Browns -6.5 | O/U: 38.5
Ali Brooke Dan Gennaro Tom
Browns 21-17
Browns 30-17
Browns 22-13
Browns 21-9
Browns 24-15
Why Tom picked the Browns: Cleveland beat Jacksonville in Week 2 with a combination of passable offense and dominant defense, and the Giants present a chance to repeat that formula Sunday. In Week 1, the Browns sacked Dak Prescott three times. In Week 2, they got to Trevor Lawrence four times. If they can make it five against Daniel Jones, it would be Jones’ second game with five-plus sacks this season (following Week 1’s loss to Minnesota) and the 16th of his career — more than any other QB since he was drafted in 2019. The Browns continue to deal with injuries, including an ongoing foot issue for Myles Garrett, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that the low-ish ceiling of this offense will keep things more interesting than they need to be. But Cleveland must jump on every opportunity the schedule provides, and I don’t think Kevin Stefanski will let this one go.
