NFL line movements for Week 3: Bengals vs. Vikings sees big movement with backup QBs set to start

Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season has some interesting quarterback situations on tap. Brock Purdy missed Week 2 for the San Francisco 49ers and is unlikely to play in Week 3, and a few other big-name quarterbacks have been ruled out for Week 3, including two in the same game. These quarterback injuries have caused some notable NFL line movement for Week 3, but there are also some other games that have seen spreads shift and totals increase or decrease for a variety of reasons. 

If you're interested in NFL betting, make sure to check out which games have seen lines move ahead of Sunday and Monday's action. With the help of the SportsLine Inside the Lines team's model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and also compiles sportsbook data from top sportsbooks, we're going to dive into NFL Week 3 line movement and the latest sportsbook consensus odds.

Here's how the SportsLine consensus odds have shifted for some of these NFL games from when books released lines for Week 3 to now. 

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. ET) 

• Open: Carolina -1.5, Carolina -120, Atlanta +100, over/under 46.5
• Now: Atlanta -5.5, Atlanta -232, Carolina +191, over/under 43.5

The Panthers opened as favorites at home over their NFC South rivals, but things have dramatically shifted in Atlanta's favor as the Falcons are now 5.5-point favorites on the road. So what happened?

Well, the Falcons are coming off a big Sunday Night Football win over the Minnesota Vikings to get to 1-1, and the Panthers are 0-2 after losing to the Jaguars in Week 1 and the Cardinals in Week 2. Bryce Young had a better game in Week 2 than he did in Week 1 with three touchdown passes, but he has already thrown three interceptions and will now be without two starting offensive linemen for the foreseeable future with Austin Corbett and Robert Hunt on injured reserve. That means the Panthers' O-line with be short-staffed against a Falcons pass rush that had six sacks in Week 2.

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET) 

• Open: Minnesota -1.5, Minnesota -122, Cincinnati +102, over/under 47.5
• Now: Minnesota -3, Minnesota -156, Cincinnati +132, over/under 41.5

Do you like watching backup quarterbacks? If so, this is the game for you. Joe Burrow is on injured reserve with a severe toe injury and if he returns this year, it may not be until December. As for the Vikings, J.J. McCarthy took a beating in Week 2 with six sacks, and an ankle injury will cost him Week 3. So who's on deck? Well, Jake Browning will make the start for Cincy while Minnesota turns to Carson Wentz.

Browning threw for 241 yards and two scores in relief of Burrow in Week 2, leading the Bengals to a win over Jacksonville. He started seven games for the Bengals in 2023 as well. As for Wentz, the former Eagles starter has made just eight starts over the last two years between his time with the Rams and Commanders.

Despite Browning's good performance in Week 2 and Wentz starting in place of McCarthy, the Vikings are now -3 after opening at -1.5, and unsurprisingly, the total is down big from 47.5 at open to 41.5.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET) 

• Open: Tennessee -1.5, Tennessee -122, Indianapolis +102, over/under 45.5
• Now: Indianapolis -4.5, Indianapolis -207, Tennessee +171, over/under 43.5

How about those... Colts? Yes, Indianapolis is one of the better stories in the early part of 2025 after picking up wins over the Dolphins and Broncos to kick off the season. Daniel Jones is off to a stellar start with his new team, completing better than 70% of his passes for 588 yards and compiling five total touchdowns. 

As for the Titans, they look like a team that just had the No. 1 overall pick as they're 0-2 after losing to Denver and Los Angeles to begin the year. Top pick Cam Ward has had some flashy moments, but he's barely completed 50% of his passes and has just one touchdown and less than 300 passing yards.

The Colts' hot start and the Titans' struggling offense has led to the Colts now being favored big on the road after opening as underdogs, and the over/under is down a bit from 45.5 to 43.5.

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET) 

• Open: Chicago -3, Chicago -155, Dallas +130, over/under 47.5
• Now: Dallas -1, Dallas -122, Chicago -103, over/under 50.5

How fun was last week's New York vs. Dallas game? Both teams had monster games offensively with the Cowboys getting an overtime win before heading to Chicago for a date with the 0-2 Bears. Chicago has yet to click under new head coach Ben Johnson, faltering late to the Vikings in Week 1 and getting blown out by Johnson's former team, the Lions, last week. 

The Bears opened as favorites at home but now find themselves as underdogs as they stare down a potential 0-3 start. The Cowboys put up 40 points last week while Chicago allowed more than 50 to Detroit, so the total is up from 47.5 at open to 50.5 now.

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday) 

• Open: Baltimore -3.5, Baltimore -175, Detroit +145, over/under 49.5
• Now: Baltimore -4.5, Baltimore -236, Detroit +194, over/under 53.5

Two of the most fun teams to watch in the entire NFL face off on Monday Night Football. The Lions are fresh off dropping 52 points on the Bears while the Ravens rebounded from a heartbreaking Week 1 loss to Buffalo by beating the Browns 41-17 behind another big day from Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens are, unsurprisingly, favored at home, but the biggest movement is with the total as the over/under shot up from 49.5 to 53.5, the highest total of the entire Week 3 slate.