Sep 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium.

Underdogs beat the spread often in Week 2 of the NFL season. Seven teams either won outright or kept things much closer than expected out of the 16 matchups across the league.

Some came with surprisingly big wins - like the Seattle Seahawks over the Pittsburgh Steelers - or in the closing minutes, like the Indianapolis Colts' 29-28 win over the Denver Broncos as time expired.

Week 3 has more potential for surprises on deck. Six of the 16 matchups are divisional games, which can be tough to predict, and there are multiple games between playoff teams from last season.

Finding the right opportunities for upset picks each week can be tough. That's where we're here to help you.

Six of the 16 games this week have a spread of three points or less. That means a week full of what could be close games. Four games stick out in which the underdog could beat the spread.

NFL Week 3 picks against the spread

All odds listed are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook as of Wednesday. Access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a complete list.

Los Angeles Rams (+3.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

These two 2-0 teams meet in Philadelphia eight months after the Rams gave the Eagles their biggest fight in the playoffs en route to their Super Bowl title.

The Eagles' title defense has started well with wins over Dallas and Kansas City. They've stayed mistake-free in both but won those games by a combined seven points.

Los Angeles could break through, though, with more stars on offense and defense overall than either the Cowboys or the Chiefs. Add in one of the top play-callers in the league in Sean McVay and that's a combination that should keep things within a field goal, if not win outright.

Carolina Panthers (+6) vs. Atlanta Falcons

Carolina's dropped its first two games ahead of this NFC South opener against Atlanta. The offense, after taking a step forward down the stretch in 2024, has struggled in the early goings this year. It's tough to overcome five turnovers in your first two games.

But this one could be different. Divisional matchups in the NFC South are often surprisingly close by the end and Carolina did score 19 unanswered points last week against Arizona to beat the spread.

Atlanta absolutely looks like the better team at this point in the season. They'll very likely win this, even though the game is in Carolina. But the Panthers could keep things just close enough to beat this spread, especially with a late score in the fourth quarter once again.

Houston Texans (+1) at Jacksonville Jaguars

Through two weeks, Houston has scored the fewest points in the league and gone 0-2. Those two losses were by a combined six points to two of the better defensive schemes in the league.

The Texans' retooled offense isn't what many had hoped it would be yet. But their divisional opener this week could be a good chance to get back on track.

Jacksonville lost to a Cincinnati team last week that didn't have Joe Burrow for most of the game. Houston's defense is multiple steps better than Cincinnati's and the Texans' offense by talent should keep them ahead in this one for their first win of the season.

Tennessee Titans (+3.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis is the surprise of the season at 2-0 behind one of the best offenses in the league. The Colts have yet to punt this season and their ground game is one of the best in the early goings of 2025.

Indianapolis needed a leverage penalty on the initial try on a go-ahead field goal to beat the Broncos 29-28 last week. This week, they're on the road for the first time and playing against the best quarterback they've faced all season in Cam Ward.

Ward made some incredible throws to start the season for Tennessee. His touchdown on the run against Los Angeles last week stands out. After seeing the Broncos and Rams' pass rush to start the regular season, the Colts may be a welcome break. This could easily come down to another late field goal once again for Indianapolis to get the win.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 3 picks, best upset bets: Top teams to bet against the spread

Reporting by Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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