Week 3 Picks

Freep Birkett Pick (Patriots 34, Lions 21):  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/09/21/detroit-lions-new-england-patriots-prediction/1379495002/

Freep Staff Picks (Patriots 27, Lions 23, Patriots 35, Lions 20, Patriots 36, Lions 20):  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/09/22/patriots-lions-predictions/1373770002/

Detroit News predictions (Patriots, 30-23; Patriots, 31-27; Patriots, 31-23):  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/09/20/detroit-news-predictions-detroit-lions-vs-new-england-patriots/1370574002/

PFT’S WEEK THREE PICKS (Patriots at Lions -  MDS’s take: Matt Patricia practiced against Tom Brady plenty of times, but he’ll have no answer for how to shut Brady down on Sunday night.  MDS’s pick: Patriots 35, Lions 20.  Florio’s pick: Matt Patricia will eventually turn the Lions around, if they give him the time to do it. For now, well, it’s time to get used to things staying the way they’ve been.  Florio’s take: Patriots 34, Lions 20.):  https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/09/20/pfts-week-three-picks-9/

CBS' Pete Prisco's NFL Week 3 Picks (New England at Detroit (Line: Patriots -6.5):  The Patriots are playing consecutive road games, after losing to the Jaguars last week. But that won't matter here. The Lions are bad. They have major issues on defense. Even if Josh Gordon doesn't play, Tom Brady carves up the Lions.  Pick: Patriots 33, Lions 23):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/pete-priscos-nfl-week-3-picks-browns-get-first-win-bucs-stay-hot-as-florida-teams-go-to-9-0/

CBS' Breech's Pick (Patriots 31-23 over Lions):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-3-picks-raiders-shock-dolphins-browns-earn-their-first-win-since-2016/

CBS Wilson's Picks (New England at Detroit:  In retrospect, it seems clear why the Patriots were so eager to keep Josh McDaniels but were happy to let Matt Patricia bolt for Detroit. Through two games, the Lions have been thoroughly outclassed, first by the Jets and then the 49ers. And now Patricia faces a New England team that will be especially motivated after losing to the Jaguars last week. Remember when folks criticized Jim Caldwell for not getting the most out of this Lions team? A quick reminder: Detroit went 9-7 last season, and the one before it when they made the playoffs.  Pick: Patriots 35, Lions 12):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-3-odds-picks-bucs-throttle-hapless-steelers-bengals-beat-panthers-to-go-to-3-0/

NFL.com's Harrison's Picks (New England Patriots 30, Detroit Lions 23:  Look for Tom Brady to rebound in a big way this week after last Sunday's loss to the Jags. Detroit's front four does not resemble the Jacksonville wall Brady faced in Week 2. Moreover, the Lions only seem to generate a pass rush when they blitz -- and blitzing the Patriots' quarterback has never been the ticket. If Detroit coach Matt Patricia attacks his former team with linebackers, he's going to get James White-d till the cows come home. An advantage to that strategy is the lack of a vertical component to the New England attack. I can't imagine recently acquired receiver Josh Gordon will have a huge role this week. Expecting the Pats to prevail. That said, if the secondary fares as it did in Jacksonville, Matthew Stafford will eat those guys alive (provided he's not off for the whole first half again).):  http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000964256/article/nfl-week-3-game-picks-falcons-top-saints-steelers-edge-bucs

SN's Steele's Picks (New England Patriots (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2) (Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC):  Pay no attention to that too-late rally in San Francisco; the Lions are not creeping closer. They're just being less of an embarrassment than they were on the first Monday night of the season. If Matthew Stafford was more reliable, the Lions could be as much of a threat to the Patriots’ struggling defense as the Jaguars were last week. (And if you’re being compared unfavorably to Blake Bortles, your career has taken an unfortunate turn). Outside of all that, the most watched inactive-list announcement of the week will be the Patriots, for Gordon.  Prediction: Patriots, 34-20):   http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/week-3-nfl-picks-predictions-buccaneers-steelers-patriots-lions-broncos-ravens/lqfpblysa7on1ewez6nmct3ol

Walterfootball (Week 3 NFL Pick: Patriots 34, Lions 24):   http://walterfootball.com/nflpicks2018_03late.php

NFL RealGM's Picks (New England Patriots at Detroit Lions (+7): The master doesn’t lose to the apprentice. Bill Belichick shows no mercy in the dojo against former proteges. Matt Patricia’s Lions would need a remarkable confluence of events to pull off the upset. Given how lackluster Lions QB Matthew Stafford has played in the first two weeks, remarkable would be an understatement. New England could run for 175 yards and 3 TDs. The trick for fantasy wonks is to figure out which RB hand, err feet, will be the hottest.  Patriots 34, Lions 21):   https://football.realgm.com/analysis/3067/Football-Meteorology-NFL-Picks-For-Week-3

Game Theory: Week 3 win probabilities, score predictions (She picks the Patriots to win 29-21):   http://www.nfl.com/videos/detroit-lions/0ap3000000964502/Game-Theory-Week-3-win-probabilities-score-predictions

MassLive Picks (New England at Detroit:  The Patriots would have been heavy favorites even if everyone was at full strength. But the Lions could be without Darius Slay, their best defensive back, and the Patriots could debut Josh Gordon, one of the best receivers in the game if his head and body are right.  This doesn't feel like this week's tie.  Picks:  Patriots:  O'Malley, Vautour, Pignatiello, Callahan):  https://www.masslive.com/expo/sports/erry-2018/09/1697e2a97a6655/nfl-week-3-picks-predictions-b.html

Pro Football Weekly predictions, Week 3 (All 4 pick the Patriots to win):   https://www.profootballweekly.com/2018/09/21/pro-football-weekly-predictions-week-3/aox8vqf/

USA Today's Picks (All 5 pick the Patriots to win):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/09/20/usa-today-week-3-nfl-picks-steelers-bucs-saints-falcons/1366256002/

The MMQB Staff Picks (All 7 pick the Patriots to win):   https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/expert-game-picks-football-sports-illustrated-mmqb-staff

CBS Picks (All 8 pick the Patriots to win):   https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/features/writers/expert/picks/straight-up/3

ESPN Picks (All 11 pick the Patriots to win):  http://www.espn.com/nfl/picks

Average Pick (553-364/17):  Patriots win 33-21.  53 experts pick the Patriots to win.