NFL Week 3 continues on Sunday and we will see the Atlanta Falcons travel to the west coast to take on the San Diego Chargers. The game is scheduled for a 4:05 PM (Eastern) start time and it will be televised live on Fox. Currently the odds for the game have San Diego favored by 3 points, while the total sits at 47.5. Currently 78% of the Public is on San Diego, while 89% is on the Over. Find out what side the Public is taking on all the games by clicking HERE.
Free Analysis: The Atlanta Falcons enter this game undefeated and are coming off of a Monday Night win over the Broncos and Peyton Manning. Falcons QB Matt Ryan has been on the mark with a league-best 117.6 QB rating. He has completed 70.1% of his passes for 518 yards, 5 TD and 0 INT in the two victories. Ryan last faced San Diego in 2008 when he threw for 207 yards and 2 TD in a 22-16 road win. Ryan’s top three receivers all have 16+ catches, with WR Roddy White the team leader in yards (189) while WR Julio Jones and TE Tony Gonzalez have each scored two touchdowns. Atlanta’s success through the air in 2012 has made its once-formidable ground game rather ordinary. RB Michael Turner is averaging a pathetic 2.6 yards per carry, gaining just 74 yards on 28 attempts. Turner was arrested for DUI after the Monday night win over Denver, but should not face any discipline from the league as a first-time offender. Defensively, the run-stop unit has been less than stellar, allowing 135 rushing YPG (25th in NFL), but was much better against Denver (4.4 YPC) than against Kansas City (4.6 YPC) in Week 1. The secondary is still adjusting to starting CB Brent Grimes on IR (Achilles), but this team continues to make big plays, forcing seven turnovers and not committing a single one so far this season.
The Chargers are looking for their first 3-0 start since 2002, and they've done it without all their top offensive weapons. Mathews, who broken his clavicle on his first preseason carry Aug. 9, is expected to make his season debut this week, and tight end Antonio Gates, who missed last week's game with a rib injury, should be back in the lineup. Despite not having his two best offensive weapons in Week 2, San Diego QB Philip Rivers still shined with three touchdown passes, all to backup TE Dante Rosario. Rivers has been locked in over the first two games of 2012, completing 74% of his passes for 515 yards, 4 TD and just 1 INT. Against the NFC, he's 14-10 with 45 touchdown throws, 20 interceptions and a 95.1 rating in 24 starts, and the Chargers are 39-8 when he gets over 100 in the rating department. The return of Mathews should help a Chargers team that has rushed for a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. On the other side of the football, San Diego’s run-stop unit has been impenetrable in the first two weeks of the season, allowing a mere 83 yards on 30 carries (2.8 YPC). The pass defense improved from Week 1 when the Raiders threw for 276 yards on 6.0 YPA. Despite trailing big most of the game, Tennessee managed just 174 passing yards (5.8 YPA) last week in the 38-10 blowout.
San Diego is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games overall, 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games following a win, and 1-5 against the spread in their last six home games against a team with a winning road record. Atlanta is 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games overall, 1-5 against the spread against a team with a winning record, and 5-1 against the spread in Sunday games following a Monday Night game.
Free Pick: Gonna go with the Chargers in this one. Rough scheduling spot for the Falcons in this one as they are off a Monday nighter and must now travel cross country on a short week to take on a very good San Diego team. A big key to the Chargers 2-0 start has been that Rivers has limited his mistakes, throwing just 1 pick so far, compared to 4 TD’s. Last week San Diego put up 38 points on Tennessee and that was without their top 2 stars, who they should have back in this game. Ryan and his mates have been super-prolific over the first two games, but they encounter a stubborn foe in the Chargers - who have an offense of their own and a defense that's been strong in its own right. While the Falcons may be flying a bit higher, the home-field advantage calls for a solid San Diego win.
-25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
*Fantasy Football is back - Enter Pregame's $1,000 tournament for FREE! There's NO season long commitment. Contests last just one weekend. Finish in the top 72 to win a cash prize. CLICK TO ENTER
Hilton Contest online version. Free. Already 1300+ entered. 5 NFL picks. $1000 prize. Seconds to join! (Details Here)
Some great content to check out at Pregame--- Lloyd Christmas' NFL Teaser Tutorial... Check out The Boys Underdog Play Of The Week.. Get More Free Picks from the Pregame Pros HERE.... Get More Video's with Free Plays like the one below by clicking HERE.
NFL Free Picks: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos BettingWhat pro football bettors need to know about Houston Texans at Denver Broncos on Sunday (9/23/12) - a free picks from Pregame.com's Vegas Runner, with host RJ Bell.