NFL Preseason Week 3 Predictions, Preview & Betting Odds 2026

The final games of the NFL Preseason Schedule 2026 will be played this week. Most of the final NFL Preseason Games will be played on Friday, but there will be four games on Thursday and two games on Saturday before the start of the regular season in two weeks. The Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans will conclude NFL Preseason 2026, so let’s take a look at that game and the other NFL Preseason Predictions in Week 3.

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NFL Preseason Games This Week

Week 3 of the NFL Preseason 2026 is full of regional rivalries. There are NFL Preseason Games galore between teams that don’t get to play each other often, highlighted by the Battle of Los Angeles between the Rams and the Chargers in SoFi Stadium on Thursday night. MetLife Stadium will host a Big Apple clash between the Jets and the Giants, while the Washington Commanders will head down the Beltway to face the Baltimore Ravens.

The regional rivalries have led to higher ticket prices than we have seen through the first two weeks of the NFL Preseason Schedule 2026. That is highlighted by fans needing to pay almost $60 to see the Las Vegas Raiders host the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. Although the Raiders are no longer in the Bay Area, there are plenty of people with allegiance to the silver and black that will make this entertaining. 

Featured NFL Preseason Matchups to Watch

Recent expansion teams will face off when the Carolina Panthers host the Houston Texans on Friday. Carolina and Houston had the top three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and both teams are looking to see if their quarterbacks are ready to turn the corner after showing flashes of potential over their first three seasons. It is clear that the Texans did get a franchise player with the No. 3 overall pick as Will Anderson Jr. has been incredible.

There are other southeastern showdowns this week too as the Miami Dolphins will welcome the Atlanta Falcons to South Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their last preseason game on the First Coast before temporarily relocating to Orlando for the 2027 season, and the New Orleans Saints will head west to face the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL Preseason Schedule 2026

Week 3 of the NFL Preseason Schedule 2026 is below:

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills 7:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns 8:00 PM ET (Prime Video)

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders 8:00 PM ET (ESPN Unlimited)

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers 10:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

Friday, August 28, 2026

Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens 6:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins 7:00 PM ET

Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers 7:00 PM ET

New York Giants at New York Jets 7:30 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars 7:30 PM ET

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys 8:00 PM ET (ESPN Unlimited)

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers 8:00 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs 8:00 PM ET (ESPN Unlimited)

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles 8:00 PM ET (CBS)

Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos 9:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts 1:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans 6:00 PM ET (NFL Network)

When Does NFL Preseason Start?

The unofficial start of the NFL Preseason was the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, August 6. Everyone aside from the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals started the following week, and all 16 teams will be in action for the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Preseason this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 

NFL Preseason Odds for This Week

One of the things you will consistently see with NFL Preseason odds is that they are all very similar. Since there are a ton of unknowns like playing time, oddsmakers make the betting odds for NFL Preseason Games pretty uniform across the board.

Buffalo Bills -2 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, O/U 36

Cleveland Browns +2.5 vs. New England Patriots, O/U 35

Las Vegas Raiders -2 vs. San Francisco 49ers, O/U 37.5

Los Angeles Chargers -4.5 vs. Los Angeles Rams, O/U 38

Baltimore Ravens -3.5 vs. Washington Commanders, O/U 35.5

Carolina Panthers +1.5 vs. Houston Texans, O/U 36

Miami Dolphins +5 vs Atlanta Falcons, O/U 36.5

Jacksonville Jaguars +1.5 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, O/U 35.5

New York Jets +3 vs. New York Giants, O/U 37

Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals, O/U 36

Kansas City Chiefs -1 vs. Seattle Seahawks, O/U 36.5

Dallas Cowboys -2.5 vs. New Orleans Saints, O/U 38.5

Green Bay Packers +2.5 vs. Arizona Cardinals, O/U 37.5

Denver Broncos -6.5 vs. Minnesota Vikings, O/U 40

Indianapolis Colts -3.5 vs. Detroit Lions, O/U 36

Tennessee Titans -3 vs. Chicago Bears, O/U 37

How to Read NFL Preseason Betting Odds

Reading NFL Preseason betting odds is just like reading typical NFL odds. The three most common bets are spread, moneyline, and over/under wagers. It has become very popular to bet on NFL Preseason teasers over the last several years, and you will see a lot of that too given the short spreads and low totals.

However, teasers on sides mostly failed for the second straight week. We saw 10 of the 16 games decided by 17 points or more, and road teams fared unbelievably well too.

Factors That Move NFL Preseason Odds

Playing time is the biggest factor when it comes to shifting NFL preseason odds. The odds will move in favor of a team if their coach declares their starters will see more action than expected. Conversely, any coach that openly states that they won’t be playing their starters will see the betting lines move against his team.

Experienced backup quarterbacks are a big factor in preseason odds too. These signal callers can carve up backup defenses in the preseason, leading to more points being put on the board. Rookie quarterbacks do tend to see more action, but it usually takes some time for them to adapt to the speed of the NFL.

NFL Preseason Predictions and Analysis

As usual, the NFL Preseason Odds are very short. No team is favored by more than seven points, and every total is between 35 and 40 points. 

We all know how Aaron Rodgers feels about the preseason now, so the first of my Week 3 NFL Preseason Picks will be Buffalo -2 at home. Pittsburgh has been giving rookie Drew Allar and second-year quarterback Will Howard a lot of reps in the preseason, but neither quarterback has emerged as a real threat to Mason Rudolph as the team’s backup signal caller. The Steelers were shut out last week with Rudolph sitting out, and Mike McCarthy probably won’t play him much considering he is the team’s No. 2. Meanwhile, the Bills’ backups have played great this postseason and are fresh off a big win last week.

My other pick is Minnesota +6.5. The Vikings have not been great this preseason, but they have two experienced quarterbacks in Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Both quarterbacks can move the chains against backups, so I believe Minnesota can keep it close even if the offense hasn’t scored many points to date. 

NFL Preseason Picks for Week 3

Buffalo Bills -2

Minnesota Vikings +6.5

Best Betting Angles for NFL Preseason Games

The best betting angles in the NFL Preseason involve backing coaches with tried-and-true records. Steve Spurrier was legendary in this regard, and John Harbaugh has been superb as well. Another one of the best angles is to find backup quarterbacks with significant experience who will receive the bulk of the playing time. Malik Willis eventually parlayed his preseason success into starting roles, and other players have taken note.

NFL Preseason Standings and Team Trends

The Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns have been the worst teams so far per the current NFL Preseason Standings. All three teams are 0-2 with negative point differentials of 35 or more, so it’s no surprise that those teams are all underdogs per the NFL betting odds this week. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams have been the best teams, which is a bit unusual considering they are two of the Super Bowl favorites. 

Do NFL Preseason Standings Matter?

NFL Preseason Standings only matter for bettors. Records are wiped clean before the start of the regular season, but it is important to remember what you see from coaches and quarterbacks so that it can be used with future preseason betting.

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