NFL Week 3 Betting Trends

Knowing how to spot and take advantage of NFL betting trends is essential to the success of anyone betting on the NFL. This is especially true early in the season when the sample sizes for each team are small, so betting lines may not be where they should be based on the true talent of each team. These NFL betting trends shed light on teams heading into the third week of the 2016 NFL season, so you can beat the odds on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are at 0-2 so far this season and have already fired an offensive coordinator in hopes that the offense will pick things up under new leadership. However, their recent history as an underdog leaves little reason to have confidence in them, as the seat on which Rex and Rob Ryan sit continues to get hotter. The Bills are just 1-3-1 against the spread in their last five outings as underdogs, which they will be against the Cardinals in this matchup.

Frankly, this game is tough to justify betting on either way, as the Cardinals have fallen on hard times as of late themselves. The Cardinals are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games, and they simply have not been good enough on the road. This is the Cardinals' first road game of the season, a game where they have to travel east to play in the early game window, so they could struggle as well.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers

This game could feature two of the top three defenses in the NFC, as the Panthers and Vikings have both been riding their defenses to their lone wins on the season, but that could change in this contest. The total has gone over in five of the last six games for the Panthers, so while defenses are expected to shine in this matchup, taking the over in a live betting scenario after it drops a bit could be a smart play early in the game.

These trends don't guarantee winning wagers, but knowing how and when to use them gives you an edge over those who do not, and that is the name of the game.