NFL Preseason Week 3 Best Bets for Friday's Games

Offenses saw a bit of a resurgence in last night's two-game preseason slate.

Those games featured 41 and 55 points, a big deviation from what we've seen so far this preseason.

Should we expect more fireworks on Friday night's three-game slate? Or could the scoring regress back to where it was the first two weeks?

Let's check out all three games and see where we can find value in FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL preseason Week 3 betting odds.

Today's Best NFL Preseason Week 3 Bets

Jaguars at Falcons

Jaguars -6.5 in First Half (-130)

Here, we know what each side is going to do with their starters. And it implies the Jacksonville Jaguars should be able to get off to a quick start.

The Jaguars are expected to give Trevor Lawrence and the starters roughly a half, which is pretty substantial work. Conversely, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said the team will use similar personnel to Week 2 of the preseason when both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. sat.

With C.J. Beathard ruled out, it's just Mac Jones and EJ Perry behind Lawrence. The threat of extended action for Perry -- who is yet to play for the Jags this preseason -- is why I'm opting for the first-half spread rather than the full-game spread, which sits at Jags -7.

Dolphins at Buccaneers

Total Under 37.5 (-110)

These two teams have spent the week holding joint practices, meaning Baker Mayfield and Tua Tagovailoa have gotten live reps against these defenses without risking injury. That alone should push us to consider the under.

It does sound as though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play Mayfield, though Jenna Laine of ESPN tweeted that starters wouldn't be expected to play "a whole lot". Kyle Trask is competent enough but not a major threat toward the over.

As for the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel's track record states he will likely play Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa has logged six and seven pass attempts in the final preseason games under McDaniel, which is decent volume for this week. Still, the Dolphins scored just 28 total points across those two games combined.

If not for the joint practices, I could understand why this total is where it stands. It just seems a bit lofty once you consider that context.

49ers at Raiders

Total Over 32.5 (-110)

The San Francisco 49ers appear likely to play a majority of their starters on Friday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. We'll just have to hope that's enough to overcome the prospect of gobs of Nathan Peterman on the other side.

It has been a light preseason for the 49ers to this point. Brock Purdy has played just three series, and he went 2-for-6 for 11 yards passing in those. He didn't have George Kittle or Deebo Samuel, though, both of whom played in the third preseason game last year. That's why the 49ers are favored by 7.5 here.

As mentioned, we'll see lots of poor quarterback play on the other side as both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell will sit this one out. But Peterman has struggled more in the regular season than the preseason historically, so it's not entirely out of the question they could score some points in the second half. That's about as ringing of an endorsement as I can give.

The Raiders' defense has let up 24 and 27 points across the first two preseason games, so I think there's enough of a case for taking the over in this spot.

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Which bets stand out to you for tonight's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL preseason Week 3 betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.