A four-game schedule kicks off Week 3 of the 2026 NFL preseason on Thursday. The Steelers at Bills kick things off at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Patriots at Browns and 49ers at Raiders at 8 p.m. ET. The last game of the night will feature the Rams at the Chargers at 10 p.m. ET. The latest NFL odds for preseason action on Thursday list the Patriots at -2.5 on the road and Raiders at -2.5 at home. The Bills are -3 home favorites. Bet NFL games at DraftKings. Claim their new user offer here:
The largest line of the night is Chargers -4.5 over the Rams, who are not expected to play any starters. Before making any Week 3 NFL preseason picks All of the updated Week 3 NFL preseason lines are listed below, and SportsLine's Larry Hartstein has locked in his best NFL picks for Thursday's action.
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A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He finished the 2025 season on a 50-37-1 run (57.5%). Anybody following his NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
Now, Hartstein has turned his attention to the latest Week 3 NFL preseason and NFL betting lines and locked in betting picks for every NFL matchup on Friday. Head here to see his picks. New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review to see their latest offers and get started. Claim the Kalshi signup offer here now:
Top NFL preseason predictions for Week 3 on Thursday
One of Hartstein's strongest Week 3 NFL picks for Thursday is the Rams (+4.5) on the road versus the Chargers. Although the Rams aren't expected to play any of their starters, they have seen exceptional quarterback play this preseason from both Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett IV. Simpson has completed 29 of 37 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games, while Stetson has completed 23 of 37 passes for 219 yards. Neither quarterback has been picked off.
"This is Ty Simpson's last chance to push Stetson Bennett for the backup job behind Matthew Stafford," Hartstein told SportsLine. "Selected No. 13 overall out of Alabama, Simpson has looked polished in both preseason games. Bennett has been even better and he could get some playing time too, with undrafted free agent Matthew Caldwell also a possibility. I like the Rams' QB depth more than the Chargers' backup battle between Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei." See which other teams to pick here.
How to make Week 3 NFL preseason picks for Thursday
Hartstein has locked in two more best bets for Thursday, including backing an underdog he likes to "finish the preseason on a high note." You can get all his picks at SportsLine.
So what Week 3 NFL preseason picks can you make with confidence, and which underdog pick should you lock in now? Check out the latest NFL odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven expert who went 50-37 on NFL spread picks last season, and find out.
Week 3 NFL preseason betting odds for Thursday, Aug. 27
Get Week 3 NFL preseason best bets at SportsLine
Steelers at Bills (-3, 35.5) Patriots at Browns (+2.5, 35.5) 49ers at Raiders (-2.5, 37.5) Rams at Chargers (-4.5, 38.5)
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