NFL Week 3 schedule, predictions and best bets

• Ladbrokes share their predictions for every game of Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season

• Cowboys face the Ravens in Rio de Janeiro

• Rams travel to Denver on MNF

The first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season have already produced plenty of surprises, with the number of unbeaten teams beginning to thin. Week 2 also saw some notable injuries to key quarterbacks that could alter the trajectories of several teams. Here’s a look at all Week 3 matchups with against the spread picks on the NFL odds.

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers

• Friday, September 25, 1.15am BST

• Point spread: Packers -5.5

Home opener for Green Bay, which remains without two key players on each side of the ball in pass-rusher Micah Parsons and running back Josh Jacobs. The Falcons would gladly take that as they have had to use their third-string quarterback in both losses so far in Cooper Rush. Not clear if it will be him, Tua Tagovailoa, former first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. or undrafted rookie Jack Strand on Thursday.

Pick against the spread: Packers

Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Bills -7

Pair of AFC playoff teams from last season. The Chargers are a shock 0-2 considering they lost both at home by the exact same 26-14 score to two of the NFL’s worst teams from last season in Arizona and Las Vegas. The team has lost five straight overall dating to last season and including the playoffs. That’s the longest skid in coach Jim Harbaugh’s career including college. The Bills are on extra rest after thumping Detroit on Thursday in Week 2, and Josh Allen already has totaled nine TDs.

Pick ATS: Bills alt -6.5

Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Panthers -2.5

Carolina has looked tremendous offensively in the early going as former No. 1 overall pick QB Bryce Young appears as if he finally has figured it all out with back-to-back three-TD games. The Panthers’ 31-point win Sunday was their largest against any team since 2015. The Browns stunned the Bucs in Tampa on Sunday, 23-19, as Deshaun Watson looked like a real NFL quarterback. It was his first win as a starting QB since Week 2 in 2024.

Pick ATS: Panthers

New York Jets at Detroit Lions

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Lions -6.5

The Jets had the visiting Packers beaten Sunday up 10 in the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold it and lost 20-17 in OT. New York’s defence has held both opponents to under 200 yards of offence but has now gone 19 straight games without an interception, a league record. The Lions were largely outclassed in Buffalo on Thursday night in Week 2 in a 41-31 loss. Amon-Ra St. Brown had two more TD catches and is the second player in franchise history with at least two in each of the first two games of a season.

Pick ATS: Lions

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Texans -2.5

The Texans are a surprising 0-2 and will try to become the first in NFL history to start 0-2 and make the playoffs in back-to-back years. But that stellar Houston defence has had two games where opposing QBs had at least two passing TDs with no interceptions. That matches the total allowed in all of 2025 by Houston. The Colts have had a really tough schedule in the Ravens and Chiefs in starting 0-2 and nearly won in Kansas City on Sunday night. But Indy has lost nine in a row overall. Houston swept the 2025 series in this AFC South rivalry.

Pick ATS: Colts alt +3

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Chiefs -10.5

There might be more Chiefs fans in South Florida than for the Dolphins on Sunday. If it goes to overtime, expect a K.C. win as Patrick Mahomes improved to 8-0 career in regular-season OT games with Sunday’s 33-30 OT win over Indianapolis. The Dolphins look easily like the NFL’s worst team thus far and the only one that has yet to lead. It’s their home opener.

Pick ATS: Dolphins

Tennessee Titans at New York Giants

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Giants -2.5

New York is on a short week after playing at the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night to conclude Week 2. The Giants were pretty healthy entering that, but lost QB Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury. The Titans just can’t get the offence going in losing their first two at home. The jury appears out on QB and ex-No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward as he is yet to even reach 200 yards passing in a game this year, although he did rush for two scores in Sunday’s close loss to the Eagles.

Pick ATS: Giants

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Bengals -3.5

Cincinnati allowed zero touchdowns on Sunday in a game for the first time in four years in thumping Houston, 20-6. Ja’Marr Chase had two TD catches to become the franchise’s all-time leader in games with at least two at 14. The Steelers lost 20-3 at New England, tying the fewest points in any game started and finished in Aaron Rodgers’ career. Pittsburgh has managed only 499 yards of offence through two games, the fewest through two games in Rodgers’ career. Time to retire. These AFC North rivals split in 2025, each winning at home.

Pick ATS: Steelers

Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Seahawks -6.5

The big story here is the availability of Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels after he dislocated his elbow in Sunday’s loss to Dallas. It sounds as if Daniels avoided massive injury (i.e. a fracture) but that he likely will miss time.  Daniels appeared in just seven games last year due to knee, hamstring and elbow issues. The Seahawks have looked every part of the defending Super Bowl champions as that defence has dominated in back-to-back wins. The team has won 12 in a row including playoffs, a franchise record. QB Sam Darnold missed Sunday’s 31-7 victory in Arizona and may have to miss one more due to injury.

Pick ATS: Seahawks

New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars

• Sunday, September 27, 6pm BST

• Point spread: Jaguars -2.5

New England and QB Drake Maye didn’t look very good offensively again Sunday but got the job done in a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh. Maye had a pick and now has 12 turnovers in six games since the start of last season’s playoffs after just 11 turnovers total in the 2025 regular season. Jacksonville had a chance to steal a big game Sunday in Denver but blew a double-digit lead in a 20-13 loss to see a nine-game regular-season winning streak snapped.

Pick ATS: Jaguars

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

• Sunday, September 27, 9.05pm BST

• Point spread: 49ers -8.5

As promising as the Cardinals looked in a Week 1 upset at the L.A. Chargers is as bad as they looked in a 31-7 defeat to Seattle in the home opener on Sunday. The Cardinals didn’t even have a completion of 10 yards. It was their fifth straight NFC West loss by double digits. The 49ers have looked tremendous so far and routed Miami on Sunday, 35-13. It’s the first time in franchise history San Francisco has won each of its first two games of a season by at least 20 points. San Francisco swept NFC West rival Arizona last season.

Pick ATS: 49ers

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Sunday, September 27, 9.05pm BST

• Point spread: Vikings -2.5

With backup QB Carson Wentz under centre, the Vikings managed only nine points Sunday in Chicago but it was enough for the upset victory for a seventh straight win overall. In fact, the Vikings have become the first team ever to win four straight games with four different starting QBs. Seems likely that Week 1 starter Kyler Murray will be back from a concussion. Tampa Bay was stunned at home by Cleveland, 23-19. The Bucs are 3-10 since starting the 2025 campaign at 5-1. Baker Mayfield just hasn’t looked the same in that span.

Pick ATS: Buccaneers alt +3

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys

• Sunday, September 27, 9.25pm BST

• Point spread: Ravens -3.5

Possible Super Bowl preview, although the Ravens looked anything but super on Sunday in a 24-17 home loss to New Orleans. It was Baltimore’s 13th loss since 2021 with at least a seven-point fourth-quarter lead. That’s six more than any other club. The Cowboys had little trouble in their home opener, beating Washington 37-20. Dak Prescott had four TD passes and is now the franchise’s all-time leader.

Pick ATS: Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints

• Sunday, September 27, 9.25pm BST

• Point spread: Saints -3

Two pleasant early surprises. The Raiders are 2-0 following Sunday’s 26-14 upset win at the Chargers, so we won’t be seeing rookie No. 1 overall QB Fernando Mendoza soon unless starter Kirk Cousins gets hurt. Cousins has become the first Raiders QB with at least three passing TDs in back-to-back games since 2015. The Saints are rising under second-year QB Tyler Shough and stunned the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, 24-17. New Orleans is now 6-5 since he took over last year as the starter.

Pick ATS: Saints alt -2.5

Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos

• Monday, September 28, 1.20am BST

• Point spread: Rams -2.5

Sunday night game and very possibly a preview of Super Bowl 61 in Los Angeles. The Rams will be on a short week after hosing the New York Giants on Monday night to conclude Week 2 with superstar wideout Puka Nacua in question due to injury. The Broncos rallied at home Sunday past the Jaguars, 20-13. It was Denver’s 13th comeback win since the start of last season, most in the NFL.

Pick ATS: Denver alt +3

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears

• Monday, September 28, 1.20am BST

• Point spread: Eagles -4.5

Both were NFC division winners last year but didn’t meet in the playoffs. The Bears won in Philadelphia during the 2025 regular season, 24-15, thanks to a whopping 281 yards rushing. Chicago nearly saw disaster on Sunday as QB Caleb Williams went down with an apparent hamstring injury during an ugly 9-3 home loss to Minnesota. Early tests were positive, but it seems quite unlikely that Williams is ready for this game. Tyson Bagent would start. The Eagles rallied for a 24-20 win at Tennessee on Sunday. Jalen Hurts had the first go-ahead passing touchdown TD in the final minute of regulation/OT in his career.

Pick ATS: Philadelphia

View the latest NFL odds.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.