Patriots vs. Commanders Predictions, Picks & NFL Preseason Week 3 Odds 8-25

Jayden Daniels won't play after being the named the Commanders' starting quarterback, while Drake Maye should take a bulk of the snaps for the Patriots in Sunday's preseason finale.

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: August 24, 2024 12:03 PM EDT • 3 minute read

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates after scoring a touchdown as we offer our best New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders bets for Sunday's final preseason clash. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. Photo by Brian Fluharty via USA TODAY Sports

Sunday evening's tilt features two of the NFL's worst preseason offenses, as the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders play the final game before the regular season gets underway.

Jayden Daniels won't feature after being named QB1 for the Commanders' opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drake Maye is expected to play for the Patriots, who are the 6.5-point favorites across our best sports betting sites.

It's unclear how much the No. 3 pick will play, with Joe Milton III and Bailey Zappe still battling for QB3 status.

Jeff Driskel and Sam Hartman will take the bulk of Commanders' snaps as they try to settle their QB3 competition.

The Commanders are 0-2 in the preseason, and the Patriots are 1-1, with neither team having scored 20 points yet.

Our Patriots vs. Commanders predictions, picks, and odds follow that narrative. We expect a low-scoring, defensive slugfest to cap off preseason action.

Patriots vs. Commanders prediction

Odds via our best NFL betting sites; NFL picks confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Best bet: Under 33.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Patriots have the fourth-best overall defense in the preseason, according to PFF. I expect their defense to suffocate a Commanders offense that ranks 26th through two preseason games.

The Commanders have scored 23 combined points, 10 of which came with Daniels as the signal-caller in just three series. Now, the Commanders will rely on Driskel and Hartman, both of whom have struggled to put points on the board.

Meanwhile, the Patriots have the 25th-ranked preseason offense and will leave most of the quarterback duties to Milton and Zappe. The Commanders have a middling 19th-ranked defense through two preseason games, so there might be room for the Patriots to exploit.

However, New England's offense, much like last season, has been toothless for extensive periods. Maye scored a rushing touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, accounting for more than half of the team's points in that narrow defeat.

In addition, Unders are 27-11 in the preseason entering Saturday's play. Though Overs are expected to make a comeback, New England vs. Washington represents a prime Under candidate.

If it hits, the -110 odds at BetMGM will yield a $9.10 profit.

Best odds: -110 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 52.36%

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Patriots vs. Commanders odds

See our full NFL odds here.

Patriots vs. Commanders game info

When: Sunday, Aug. 25
Kick off: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Commanders Field (Washington)
How to watch: NBC, DAZN
Favorite: Patriots (-290 via FanDuel)

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Written by:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.