NFL Week 3 Parlay Picks and Predictions

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Betting expert Michael Crosson provides his top parlay selections for Week 3 of the NFL season. Odds provided by DraftKings.

ATS Parlay Best Bet

• Cincinnati Bengals -5 (-110) @ NYJ
• Los Angeles Rams -3.5 (-110) @ ARI

Payout: +264

The Bengals are off to an incredibly disappointing start following last year’s impressive playoff run, as the reigning AFC Champs currently sit 0-2 through the first two weeks of the season, making Cincinnati just the sixth team in the Super Bowl era to start 0-2 immediately following a trip to the big game. There hasn’t been much to feel good about Cincy’s defeats either, as the Bengals turned the ball over five times and shanked a game-winning 29-yard field goal in a stunning loss to Pittsburgh in Week 1 (L, 23-20), and then followed that up with an ugly loss to a Cooper Rush led Cowboys squad in Week 2 (L, 20-17).

However, I’ll take Cincy to bounce back here, as the Bengals’ 0-2 start has already thrust them into must-win territory against the Jets in Week 3, and I expect Joe Burrow and co. to finally deliver after facing a pair of tough defenses to open the season.

The Rams also stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start to the year, as Buffalo waltzed in and crashed the reigning Super Bowl Champs’ ring ceremony with 31-10 beatdown on opening night. However, Sean McVay’s squad looked much better in Week 2, as the Rams jumped out to an enormous 31-10 fourth-quarter lead over Atlanta this past Sunday, only to have that lead diminished to a four-point Rams’ victory in garbage time (W, 31-27).

I’ll back L. A. here, as the Cardinals appeared destined for their second straight blowout loss after entering the halftime break of their Week 2 matchup against the Raiders trailing 20-0; and while I admire Arizona’s valiant effort to come from behind and win last week’s contest (W, 29-23), this squad clearly doesn’t stack up against NFC powerhouses like the Rams.

ML Parlay Best Bet

• Baltimore Ravens ML (-150) @ NE
• Las Vegas Raiders ML (-130) @ TEN

Payout: +195

Baltimore dropped an absolute heartbreaker at home this past Sunday, as the Ravens entered the fourth quarter of their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins boasting a massive 35-14 lead, and their defense promptly imploded, as Baltimore surrendered 189 passing yards and four touchdowns to Tua Tagovailoa in the final stanza, marking the first time a team trailing by 21 PTS in the fourth quarter of a contest has come back to win since 2011.

I’ll take the Ravens moneyline here, as the Patriots scored 17 PTS or less in back-to-back matchups against Miami and Pittsburgh to open the season (12 PPG, 324 YPG), and I’m not sure if New England wields enough offensive firepower to keep things competitive against a Baltimore squad that’s averaged 31 PPG on 374 YPG through Week 2.

The Raiders also dropped a tough one last week, as Derek Carr and co. jumped out to a commanding 20-0 first-half lead over Arizona in Week 2, however, they followed up that with just three points in the second half, which in turn, allowed the Cardinals to claw their way back into the game, and ultimately, win on a walk off defensive score in overtime.

I’ll back Las Vegas here, as Tennessee’s offense has been tough to watch since the departure of AJ Brown, highlighted by Derrick Henry and co. averaging 13.5 PPG on 273 YPG across their ugly 0-2 start to the season. So, I worry for their ability to stand toe-to-toe with prolific passing attacks like the Raiders.

Six-Point Teaser

• Kansas City Chiefs -0.5 (-6.5) @ IND
• Minnesota Vikings -0.5 (-6.5) vs DET

Payout: -120

The Chiefs came up three points short against Cincinnati in last year’s AFC Championship Game, and to no surprise, they returned seeking vengeance to start this season, as Kansas City opened the year with back-to-back wins over the Cardinals and Chargers, while racking up 35.5 PPG on 404 YPG despite the departure of All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill.

I’ll back Kansas City here, as the Colts have looked terrible in their first two matchups with Matt Ryan under center, highlighted by Indy’s offense averaging just 10 PPG across matchups against Houston and Jacksonville to open the season, which doesn’t bode well heading into a matchup against an offensive juggernaut like the Chiefs.

It’s been a tale of two very different games for Minnesota to start the year, as the Vikings kicked things off with an impressive 23-7 win over the Packers in Week 1, which led to Kirk Cousins and co. being a very popular underdog play ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup against the Eagles. But lo and behold, primetime Cousins struck again, as the Vikings scored just seven points on 264 total yards and turned the ball over three times in an ugly 24-7 loss to Philly in Week 2, officially dropping Cousins’ Monday Night Football record 2-10 for his career.

I’ll back Minnesota to bounce back at home in Week 3, as the Vikings should ultimately have a field day against a Lions’ defense that’s surrendered 32.5 PPG on 426 YPG across their first two matchups of the season against the Eagles and Commanders.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson