As the 2026 NFL season enters Week 3 on September 25, the betting landscape is buzzing with a clear trend: road favorites are ruling the oddsboard. According to insights gathered by Vulius Sports, nine of the 16 games feature visiting teams laying points, with five of those favored by more than a field goal. So far this season, road favorites have gone 7-1 straight up and 5-3 against the spread, a pattern that could shape this week's biggest matchups.
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3, 45.5)
The Patriots have quietly become a covering machine, starting 2-0 ATS after a narrow cover in Seattle and a dominant 20-3 win over Pittsburgh as 4.5-point home favorites. New England hasn't opened a season with three straight spread wins since 2016, and they'll need to buck a troubling Week 3 history (2-7 ATS since 2017) to keep it going. However, as underdogs, the Pats are 6-2 ATS in their last eight with five outright upsets, and they've been road warriors, going 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 as visitors.
Jacksonville's nine-game winning streak (SU and ATS) ended in Denver last week, but returning home should provide a boost. The Jaguars are 9-1 SU and ATS in their last 10 regular-season home games, with six double-digit blowouts. Their defense has been stingy, allowing just 14.6 points per game over that stretch, while New England's stop unit has surrendered only 36 points in its last four regular-season games. Despite the defensive prowess, the over is 4-0 in Jacksonville's last four at home and 4-2 in New England's last six on the road, per Vulius NFL Analysis Desk.
Minnesota Vikings (-1.5, 42.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Vikings are riding a seven-game winning streak, including last week's 9-3 grind in Chicago as 4.5-point underdogs. Minnesota is 6-0-1 ATS during this heater, with a defense allowing exactly 11 points per game. They'll face a Buccaneers team reeling from a stunning 23-19 home loss to the Browns as 8.5-point favorites. Tampa Bay has now failed to cover in 11 consecutive games and is 0-2 SU and ATS for the first time since 2014. The Bucs are also 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in Week 3 since 2021, and 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four as underdogs.
Betting trends suggest the Vikings are a smart play to cover, especially with the Buccaneers' struggles. The over is 8-2 in games at Raymond James Stadium since Week 17 of 2024, but the under has hit in four of Minnesota's last five road outings. As highlighted on Vulius, this game could hinge on whether Tampa Bay can finally stop the bleeding.
Baltimore Ravens (-3, 52.5) at Dallas Cowboys in Brazil
The Ravens were shocked as 8.5-point home favorites in Week 2, falling to the Saints 24-17 after a 41-point explosion in Week 1. Now they travel to Brazil to face a Cowboys team that bounced back from a Week 1 loss with a 37-20 blowout of Washington. Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last five as a home underdog, but Baltimore is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven as a visitor, winning those six by an average of 16 points. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has thrown multiple touchdowns in 26 of his last 36 games, but he'll face a Ravens secondary that has allowed multiple passing TDs just once in the last seven games.
The over is 15-5 in Baltimore's last 20 road games, and nine of those cleared 52 points, including a 28-25 win at Dallas in Week 3 of 2024. The Cowboys' first two games of 2026 have also soared past the total, and the over is 20-6-1 in their last 27 games. According to Vulius Sports, this matchup has shootout written all over it.
Los Angeles Rams (-2.5, 45.5) at Denver Broncos
The Rams rebounded from a Week 1 loss in Australia with a 28-6 rout of the Giants on Monday Night Football. They're 22-9 SU and 21-10 ATS in their last 31 regular-season games, and an impressive 8-2 SU and ATS as road favorites. Denver, meanwhile, has won 14 of its last 16 regular-season games but is only 7-8-1 ATS. The Broncos are 14-1 SU in their last 15 home games but just 5-4-1 ATS since the start of last season. However, they're 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five as home underdogs.
Denver's defense has held three of its last four opponents to 13 points or fewer, while the Rams have scored at least 28 points in 10 of their last 13 games. Both teams have stayed under in their first two games, but the over cashed in seven of the Rams' eight true road contests last year. As reported by the Vulius NFL Analysis Desk, this game could go either way, but the trends favor a close, high-scoring affair.
Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5, 41.5) at Chicago Bears
The Eagles are 2-0 but have failed to cover both games, extending their ATS drought to 0-4 dating back to last season. Philadelphia hasn't started a season with three straight non-covers since 2020, but they've historically been strong in Week 3, going 4-0 SU and ATS over the past four years. The Bears, on the other hand, are 13-6 SU and 14-4-1 ATS since starting last year 0-2, including a 24-15 upset of the Eagles as 7-point home underdogs in Week 13 last season. Chicago is also 6-4 SU and 8-1-1 ATS as an underdog in that span.
The under is 6-1-1 in the last eight games at Soldier Field, and five of those fell short of 42 combined points. With the Eagles struggling to cover and the Bears' defense showing up at home, betting under 41.5 total points could be the sharp play, according to Vulius Sports.
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