Week 2 of the NFL season featured a marquee NFC West matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks that ended with Colin Kaepernick shaving his eyebrow to pay off a bet he made with opposing quarterback Russell Wilson. In the other big matchup of the week the Manning brothers did not have any interesting bets, which was good for Eli Manning as the Denver Broncos blew out his New York Giants by nearly 20 points. Many of last week’s games were basic strategy teaser matchups as there were seven games to choose from. Overall, basic strategy teasers ended up with a very good, and profitable, 5-2 record.

Entering Week 3 of the season, there are another seven matchups to choose from. In general, basic strategy teasers are supposed to be a profitable play and mathematically provide an edge to bettors. Let’s take a closer look at Week 3’s teasers and go over the best and worst options.

The Best

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Original spread: Ravens +2.5
Six-point teaser: Ravens +8.5

The Texans have not played great in either of their first two wins of the season and struggled a bit against both the San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans. This is a very winnable matchup for Houston and a game that will probably be a low-scoring defensive affair. But taking the home team and 8.5 points is probably too good of an opportunity to pass up. Expect Baltimore to keep this game close even if they lose.

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins
Original spread: Falcons +1.5
Six-point teaser: Falcons +7.5

The Miami Dolphins might be a legitimate threat in the AFC. The honest truth is that they are not serious Super Bowl contenders, but they are a team that could pull off a win during any given week. Miami even beat the Indianapolis Colts as a three-point road underdog last week. However, expecting them to beat the Falcons by more than a touchdown is a bit of a stretch. This is a game that the Dolphins could win, and if they do, it won’t be by a lot. Expect a close game and maybe even a Falcons win.

Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins
Original spread: Lions +1.5
Six-point teaser: Lions +7.5

The Redskins have really tightened up their offensive in an attempt to keep Robert Griffin III out of trouble, but the problem is that last year’s pistol offense is what made Griffin and the Redskins so dangerous. Washington is in serious danger of starting the season 0-3. And even though the Lions are not a powerhouse by any means, they could win this game straight out. There is a chance the Redskins’ offense starts to click and they run away with this game, but don’t expect that to happen. Washington will probably win close matchup with both teams scoring in the 20s.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Original spread: Bills +2.5
Six-point teaser: Bills +8.5

The Jet’s haven’t not looked as horrible as we might have expected before the season started. They actually won a game and kept another one against a division rival very close. The trouble with the Jets is that its offense is out of sync, and rookie quarterback Geno Smith is mistake-prone. On the other side of things, the Bills may not be a very good team, either, but they should be able to stay within 8.5 points. The Jets simply will not be able to score enough points to cover this spread.

The Worst

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
Original spread: Saints -7.5
Six-point teaser: Saints -1.5

The Cardinals have played surprisingly well this season, and Carson Palmer has been rejuvenated over the last two games. Sure, under normal circumstances reducing the Saints’ spread by six points is usually a good thing, but New Orleans has not looked impressive over the first two games. The Saints might win this game and cover the teaser, but it would not be surprising if they didn’t. This one has upset writing all over it. Staying away would be the best idea.

Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers
Original spread: Steelers +2
Six-point teaser: Steelers +8

The Steelers are getting eight points at home, and usually that is a great situation to be on. The only trouble here is that Pittsburgh is not a very good team and has been playing even worse. The Steelers could keep this game close, but I would not count on it. This is a game that bettors should probably stay away from.

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers
Original spread: Giants +1.5
Six-point teaser: Giants +7.5

This is another matchup to stay away from because it has upset potential. The Giants are still a talented team and could easily win this game, but they are continuing their uninspired play from last season. New York is a team that has an on-and-off switch, and at this point the team has just decided it is not ready to play. This is a game in which anything could happen. If the Giants won by 20 would anyone be surprised? But if they lost by that same amount would it be any different? No one knows what to expect from New York, so stay away from this matchup.

Last week: 5-2; Season: 7-3

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Read more articles by George Monroy