Eagles open as road favorite over Bucs in Week 3 Monday night doubleheader

After grinding out a win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles will make the trip to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, the first of two games featured on the ESPN networks that night.

It will be the second straight prime-time game for the Eagles, who will face Baker Mayfield and the 2-0 Buccaneers after Tampa Bay pulled away from the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

This will be Mayfield’s second career start against the Eagles, the first coming as a member of the Browns in 2020, a 22-17 win in Cleveland over ex-Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Meanwhile, for Jalen Hurts, it will be his third career start (including playoffs) against the Buccaneers, the first two coming during the 2021 season when Tampa Bay still had Tom Brady.

The Bucs have been a surprise, but will their good fortune run out when they face the Eagles’ tenacious defensive line? Here’s a look at the odds ahead of this Monday night matchup, along with the other 15 games.

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(Road team listed first)

When the initial line of this game came out in May at DraftKings, the Eagles were six-point favorites. Four months later, that number is half a point lower. Mayfield looked like a capable starter against the Vikings and Bears, but he faces his toughest defense yet.

The Giants have been sleepwalking through the start of the season and were held scoreless in their first six quarters before waking up against the Cardinals. The 49ers have looked impressive in both wins this season. This could get ugly.

The Titans picked up their first win of the season, beating the Chargers on Sunday. The Browns lost star running back Nick Chubb to an awful injury, and Deshaun Watson looked like a shell of his former self on Monday night.

The Falcons are undefeated and led by rookie running back Bijan Robinson and a much-improved defense. But they face a tough Lions team, which forced overtime against Seahawks before losing on a walk-off touchdown.

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The Saints defense looks like one of the top units in the NFL, but Derek Carr continues to struggle on the road. Can Jordan Love overcome the Packers’ inconsistent defense and outscore the Saints?

The Broncos nearly pulled off an immaculate comeback, but it was needed because of their collapse early in the second half. The Dolphins look like real contenders with an explosive offense.

An unlikely matchup between 0-2 teams — which defense will play better? It could be a high-scoring game with quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Kirk Cousins having big days.

The Jets defense desperately needs help from quarterback Zach Wilson and the offense. The road only gets tougher with a well-coached Patriots defense, but divisional games usually are close.

The Commanders are undefeated but face the Bills’ buzzsaw offense led by quarterback Josh Allen. One could argue Washington has overachieved, and the Buffalo offense looks tough to stop after running through the Raiders on Sunday.

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Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looked in command in the Texans’ loss to the Colts on Sunday, and he will need to have another great performance to pull off the upset.

If rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson can’t go Sunday, it’s going to be a long day against the much improved and dangerous Ravens.

Another rough draw for rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offensive line. The Seahawks look exciting again on offense, led by quarterback Geno Smith.

The 0-2 Bears are free-falling, and facing the reigning champions won’t fix their problems. Should be a quick day for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

The Cowboys have largely dominated their first two opponents, and expect this trend to continue against a young Cardinals team.

The Steelers defense should take a lot of credit after scoring two touchdowns on Monday night. The Raiders offense looked hapless against the Bills, so this could be another ugly prime-time game.

It will be a rematch of Super Bowl LVI, but a nagging calf injury could keep quarterback Joe Burrow out. Meanwhile, the Rams have an unexpected star in receiver Puka Nacua.