NFL Week 3 wraps up with a rare Monday Night Football doubleheader. The two games will take place concurrently, with the Bills hosting the Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Bengals hosting the Commanders at 8:15 p.m. ET, giving us double the amount of best bets for Week 3 Monday Night Football than we are accustomed to.

In the first game, the Jaguars will be looking to get their first win of the year, while the Bills will be looking to move to 3-0. They thoroughly dismantled the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football in Week 2, so they’ll have a bit of additional time to prepare for the Jaguars.

In the second game, the Bengals will be looking to bounce back after a disastrous start to the year. They lost outright as big favorites to the Patriots in Week 1, and while they played better in Week 2, they were unable to secure a win vs. the Chiefs. They absolutely need a win in Week 3 to avoid the dreaded 0-3 start; Only four of 162 teams to start the season 0-3 have made the postseason since 1990.

Where can we find some betting value in these contests? Let’s dive in.

Best Bet for Bills vs. Jaguars - Monday Night Football

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills

  • Spread: Bills -5.5
  • Total: 45.5

It has been a rough year for big favorites to start the 2024-25 season. We’ve now had 19 games where the favorite has closed at greater than four points, and they’ve gone just 5-14 ATS in those contests. In fact, they’ve posted a below-.500 record on the moneyline, so big upsets have been taking place all year.

That said, I’m not shying away from the Bills in this spot. The Jaguars are simply not a good football team, and I expect the Bills to be focused after losing to them in London last year. Revenge could be on their minds.

Josh Allen doesn’t have the greatest track record as a favorite, but he looks like a different player through the first two weeks. He’s gone two straight games without throwing a pick, and while that’s not a massive accomplishment for most quarterbacks, it’s a huge deal for Allen. He has at least 14 interceptions in three straight seasons, so if he’s going to protect the football more in 2024, the Bills’ offense could reach new heights. They’re currently first in the league in EPA per play by a comfortable margin despite losing their two best receivers in the offseason.

The Pick: Bills -5.5 (-110; BetMGM)

Best Bet for Bengals vs. Commanders - Monday Night Football

Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals

  • Spread: Bengals -7.5
  • Total: 47.0

The Bengals were expected to be one of the best teams in football this season, and they still have time to turn things around. That said, I’m not sure what they’ve done to deserve being favored by 7.5 points against the Commanders.

Offensively, the Commanders have been the better team so far this season. They’re actually No. 2 in EPA per play offensively, and they’re coming off a fantastic showing in Week 2 vs. the Giants. They rolled up 425 yards of total offense, and while they didn’t score any touchdowns, they made six trips into the red zone. The only drive they had that didn’t end in points was a kneel-down before the end of the first half.

With Jayden Daniels at the helm, the Commanders boast one of the most imposing rushing attacks in football. That could create some problems for Cincinnati. They lost their best run defender this offseason in DJ Reader, and they’re just 28th in rush defense EPA so far this season.

The Bengals’ offense is poised for their best game of the year, with Tee Higgins rejoining the rotation. Still, I’m not sure they can do enough defensively to cover more than a touchdown. I like the Bengals to pick up the win, but I think this game will be closer than expected.

The Pick: Commanders +7.5 (-115; BetMGM)

Player Props for Monday Night Football Week 3

Trenton Irwin Under 7.5 receiving yards (-110; BetMGM)

With Higgins suiting up for the first time this season, I’m not sure how much work that realistically leaves Irwin as the team’s WR4. He wasn’t exactly a huge part of the offense even with Higgins sidelined, and Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman both have him projected for just one target. It wouldn’t shock me if he doesn’t get any looks at all in Week 3.

James Cook Over 15.5 receiving yards (-120; BetMGM)

Cook has emerged as the Bills’ clear top running back since the middle of last season. He didn’t need to play much after halftime in Week 2, but he’s still averaged a healthy 19.6 carries + targets over his past 10 regular season games. He’s gone over 15.5 receiving yards in seven of his past nine regular season contests, including both games this season. This number is simply too low.

Josh Allen anytime touchdown (-110; DraftKings)

Anytime I can get Allen at around even money to score a touchdown, I’m going to be interested. He’s one of the best goal-line hammers in the NFL. He had a whopping 15 touchdowns last year, and he had two rushing scores in Week 1. Allen is priced closer to -150 to find the paint across most of the industry, so the -110 on DraftKings stands out as a clear outlier. Let’s take advantage.