NFL look-ahead lines report for Week 3

You want to win money betting on NFL games. That's why you're here. 

The challenge most casual bettors run into though is their late call to action, i.e., betting moments before a game kicks off. Sure, we want to bet the game we're watching, but at the end of the day, we want to win. Unfortunately, beating closing lines in the NFL is a long-term -EV proposition. To better understand closing line value, check out Anthony Amico's series from the offseason on the topic. In short, this is where look-ahead lines can be of value.

Each week of the season, I'll be providing a first glance at the upcoming NFL slate through the lens of look-ahead lines, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Look-ahead lines are typically released on Thursdays and are often taken down shortly after the current week's Thursday night game kicks off, but perhaps your bookmaker handles them differently. This short look-ahead window provides a peek at how teams are valued prior to the start of the week, and it's also an opportunity to act before the games are posted and sharpened on Sunday evening after the previous week's games are complete. These lines are a true indicator of how bookmakers value each team, without the influence of recency bias after watching eight hours of football earlier in the day. Depending on the bookmaker, and bettor for that matter, you may or may not be able to get the type of action down that you'd like. The key is understanding where the value is on the board in any given week, and that is easier to do once you know what the opening number was. 

Here's a look at the Week 3 spreads:

Noonan's notes:

• I love this spot for the Cardinals, and the line has moved in our favor during the offseason. After traveling to Green Bay in Week 2, this will be back-to-back roadies for the Lions, who are hoping to get Kenny Golladay back after he missed the first two contests. If Week 2 goes as I anticipate it will, this game is Cardinals -6 before your head hits the pillow Sunday night.
• The Bengals/Eagles line from May looks like a mistake, but it's not. Now priced at -5.5, that number feels correct but could be on the move depending on how Philadelphia shows up against the Rams. If Philly wins this will jump to 6 quickly.
• Back-to-back road games here for Washington, who will be facing a well-rested Browns club, fresh of a win Thursday night. This matchup is sitting at -6 but could climb to -7 by Monday morning if Washington no-shows in the desert.
• The 49ers are staying in New York, facing the Jets and Giants in consecutive weeks, so the travel concerns are a non-issue.
• I haven't heard about the Rams plans around travel, but I really like this spot for the Bills regardless. If the Rams are making this an L.A-Philadelphia-L.A.-Buffalo travel schedule, I'm hammering the Bills at -3.

For reasons unknown to me at this time, books haven’t released any look-ahead totals yet this week. Look for an update on Sunday evening with Week 3 totals.