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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 the NFL at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets instantly after $5+ in bets:
The largest line of the night is Chargers -4.5 over the Rams, who will be playing few if any starters. Before making any Week 3 NFL preseason picks for Thursday, you NEED to see the best bets from SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein.
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 enters the 2026 NFL season on a 50-37-1 run on NFL spread picks, a 57.5% win rate. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!
Now, Hartstein has locked in three confident best bets for Week 3 NFL preseason action on Thursday.
One of his picks: He's backing the Rams (+4.5) on the road against the Chargers.
"This is Ty Simpson's last chance to push Stetson Bennett for the backup job behind Matthew Stafford," Hartstein said. "Selected No. 13 overall out of Alabama, Simpson has looked polished in both preseason games."
Hartstein has locked in two other best bets, including backing an underdog he says has an advantage due to quarterback depth in its matchup!
So what are the best bets for Thursday's NFL preseason action, and what team has a HUGE edge at QB? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which teams to back, all from the expert who went 50-37-1 on his NFL picks in 2025!
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Written by Daniel Kohn
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