Trends, trends and more trends. When considering a pick for a game, it’s always a good idea to see the past history of the teams and if any trends are in play. Historical data can tell you a lot about how a team could perform in a certain spot. With Week 3 in the NFL approaching, here are the 5 best trends to keep in mind for Sunday.

 

The total has gone OVER in 8 of the Minnesota Vikings’ last 10 home games

The highest game total in Week 3 is between the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings. That’s not too surprising since both teams have explosive offenses but below-average defenses. In Week 1, the Chargers’ game finished with 70 points. The Bolts followed that up with a 51-point game in Week 2 against the Titans. Their offense has been great with Justin Herbert slinging the ball downfield to Keenen Allen, Mike Williams and Gerald Everett, but their defense has been even worse at allowing big plays. As for the Vikings, they had 37 points scored in their Week 1 matchup against the Bucs and then 62 points in Week 2 against the Eagles. Minnesota’s secondary has been beaten consistently through two weeks, and that’s not expected to stop in Week 3. Expect a shootout in Minnesota with a history of high-scoring games when the Vikings are home.

 

The New England Patriots have won 14 straight games over the New York Jets

The biggest trend that’s active in Week 3 is New England’s 14-game winning streak over the Jets. That’s right, the Patriots have won 14 consecutive games over their AFC East rival since 2016. The streak started under Tom Brady and has been continued by Mac Jones, and it appeared the Jets might finally break the streak with Aaron Rodgers joining New York in the offseason. But as we all know, Rodgers lasted 4 plays before handing the torch to Zach Wilson. In Week 2, the Jets lost 30-10 to the Cowboys and Wilson finished with just 170 passing yards. The Patriots come into this game 0-2, but their losses came from the Eagles and Dolphins — 2 elite teams. New England is a 2.5-point favorite in New York on Sunday, so are you backing their streak, or fading it?

 

The UNDER is 4-0-1 in the Cleveland Browns’ last 5 home games

Between the Cleveland weather and the Browns’ defense, the under has been a very profitable spot at the Cleveland Browns Stadium. In the last 5 games there, the under is 4-0-1, and it’s unusual to see a game total north of 45 points. That’s the case again on Sunday as the Titans and Browns are set to kick off at 1:00 PM, and the game total is 39.5. However, it’s going to be a new-look Browns offense since Cleveland lost Nick Chubb to a season-ending injury in Week 2. Still, the game-plan will be to run and take time off the clock to limit Derrick Henry’s time on the field. This under is a very intriguing spot in Week 3.

 

The Miami Dolphins are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games versus the AFC

The Dolphins are 2-0 straight up and against the spread with wins against the Chargers and Patriots. Both of those teams hail from the AFC, and dating back to last season, Miami is a perfect 6-0 against the spread in their last 6 games against AFC teams. You may be wondering, who do the Dolphins play in Week 3? I’m happy to share that the Denver Broncos, who come from the AFC West, will be traveling to Miami this Sunday. That means the Dolphins will put their 6-0 streak on the line at the Hard Rock Stadium, but I don’t expect the Broncos to be the team that stops Miami’s streak. The Dolphins are – 6.5 favorites this Sunday, and I expect their spread to reach 7 points by Sunday.

 

The Atlanta Falcons are 0-6 in their last 6 games as underdogs

The NFC South has three undefeated teams after Week 2, but all three teams are underdogs in their Week 3 matchup. That includes the Atlanta Falcons, who are 2-0 this season with wins over the Panthers and Packers. However, history is not on their side in Week 3 since the Falcons are 0-6 in their last six games as underdogs. On Sunday they are 3-point ‘dogs to the Detroit Lions, who are coming off an overtime loss to the Seahawks. The Lions are one of the most popular favorites in Week 3, so many bettors and sharps are following the trend and fading the Falcons as underdogs.