NFL picks against the spread, Week 3: 49ers look to rebound against Colts

We're back for Week 3 NFL picks! It was another poor performance for me in Week 2. But I feel like I have a never say die attitude. That is never smart when it comes to Vegas.

This week, the 49ers are back home hosting the Indianapolis Colts. The 49ers struggled mightily on offense against the Seahawks in Week 2, and will look for some home-cooking to get back on track. The 49ers enter the game as ten point favorites. In two seasons under Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers have never lost back-to-back games. Upsets do happen, but ideally the coaching staff will have an improved game-plan in place. I don't think the 49ers necessarily need to cover the spread to "look good", but it sure would be nice!

The 49ers face a Colts squad that has Andrew Luck as the face of the franchise, but they have putting in a significant effort to establish the run. Ahmad Bradshaw gave the 49ers some trouble in the past during his time with the New York Giants. It will be interesting to see how much the Colts stick with the run, versus letting their young quarterback air it out against a secondary that has some question marks.

Assuming Eric Reid is healthy enough to play, the biggest weakness in the 49ers secondary is likely to be Nnamdi Asomugha. He was not challenged frequently by the Seahawks, but when they did challenge him, they did find some success. Russell Wilson and Sidney Rice were unable to connect in the end zone when Rice had a step on Nnamdi and safety Craig Dahl. Later in the game, Nnamdi was flagged for pass interference as he collided with Golden Tate. I think we see the Colts take some early shots at Nnamdi.

The big question though will be how the offense rebounds. The 49ers defense had some problems in the second half against the Seahawks, but for the most part they did some great work against Russell Wilson. The offense was in a funk thanks in large part to the strong Seahawks defense. The 49ers had a couple opportunities to swing things, and you do have to wonder if things might have changed had Kap and Bruce Miller connected on that first drive. But, that's all woulda/coulda/shoulda.

James and I are back with our picks. He has jumped out to a big lead after one week of competing picks. Here's hoping for a Week 2 improvement. You can check out James over at Cover 32, where he covers the Raiders. It's alright, we're not all perfect.