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NFL Week 3 Survivor Pool: Get Best Defense vs Worst Offense

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com

Adam Thompson  | 3 mins

NFL Week 3 Survivor Pool: Get Best Defense vs Worst Offense

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NFL Survivor Pools have exploded in popularity. There are levels for all kinds of fans, from family pools to those with thousands of dollars in NFL betting cash prizes on the line.

The simple nature of it is a major draw: Survivor Pools entail picking one team to win each week, but never picking the same team twice.

It's not how much your team wins by in a Survivor Pool. Simply, it's about picking a winner and moving on -- and sometimes saving the biggest NFL odds favorite for a future week.


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Here is our pick for Week 3:

Indianapolis Colts over New York Jets

No team has allowed fewer yards than the Indianapolis Colts. No team has amassed fewer yards than the New York Jets. And now not only is Le’Veon Bell out, but the Jets’ top passing target (Breshad Perriman) is also likely out, meaning poor Sam Darnold is in for a long day. Indy’s offense has its injury issues, but Philip Rivers, TY Hilton and Jonathan Taylor aren’t among them.

The Philip Rivers “era” in Indy got off to an inauspicious start with a 27-20 loss to the Jaguars. But the Colts bounced back in a big way in Week 2, crushing the Vikings 28-11 as the defense intercepted Kirk Cousins three times.


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You know who hasn’t had a bounce-back moment and likely won’t for a while? The New York Jets. They lost by 10 at Buffalo in their opener, then followed that with a 31-13 home beatdown at the hands of a decimated 49ers team.

Now the Jets have their own injury issues. Bell, a massive Big Apple disappointment but still the top playmaking option on the team, is on IR. The team’s top two WRs might also be out. For a team that already ranks last in yards gained, that’s not good news. That Indy’s defense, led by unheralded superstar LB Darius Leonard, ranks No. 1 in yards allowed also makes one wonder how the Jets will score. At all.

NFL Week 3 Survivor Pool: Get Best Defense vs Worst Offense 1

Indy is banged up as well, most notably at tight end (Jack Doyle is out). But Rivers has Hilton and the rest of his receivers, plus rookie Taylor can settle in as a starting RB against a 26th-ranked run defense.



Rivers has a bad habit of playing up and down to the competition. But the Jets have just one INT so far and opposing QBs have a 106.8 rating. As long as Rivers doesn’t assist the Jets, Indy pulls out a comfortable home victory on Sunday.

Other NFL Week 3 Survivor Pool Contenders

Cleveland Browns: The Browns have a plethora of playmakers, including the best RB tandem in the league. Washington is 2-7 on the road the past two seasons, with an average margin of -10.3 ppg.

Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers defense held down Patrick Mahomes last week. Now productive Teddy Bridgewater comes to town, but without Christian McCaffrey. Justin Herbert should have learned from rookie mistakes vs. KC.

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About the Author

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com
Adam Thompson
NFL writer and expert Adam Thompson joined Bookies.com in 2019 after a successful run as senior handicapper for SportsLine and CBSSports.com. He's long been established as one of the nation's premier handicappers, specializing in the NFL where he's hit on more than 60% over the past three years. Adam's NBA, PGA and horse racing picks have also produced major winners over the last 12 months. His customized NFL and NBA odds for players and teams have been picked up by hundreds of websites over the past year.