It's impossible to beat perfection, and that's what the Vikings franchise has obtained versus the Texans franchise. Minnesota is 5-0 straight-up and against the spread all-time against Houston. They'll match up for a sixth time on Sunday, when the Texans are 1.5-point favorites in the Week 3 NFL odds. Backing the Vikings on the money line and against the spread could be a simple two legs to add to Week 3 NFL parlay picks if you believe both trends will continue.
There are two other AFC South vs. NFC North contests on Sunday, including Colts vs. Bears (+1) and Titans vs. Packers (+2.5). All three AFC South teams are favored, despite none of them having better records than the NFC North teams they're facing. If you think the NFC North is being undervalued in the Week 3 NFL lines, then you shouldn't hesitate in adding the Bears and Packers to your NFL betting predictions. Before you make any Week 3 NFL picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say.
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. Hartstein tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. His weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 81-51-3 (61.3%, +24.65 units) since its inception in 2022. He is 2-3-1 with his best bets this season, and anyone who has followed him is way up.
For Week 3, Hartstein has locked in three confident best bets. If you successfully parlay his picks, you're looking at a payout of over 6-1. You can only see Hartstein's Week 3 NFL picks at SportsLine.
Top Week 3 NFL picks
We can tell you Hartstein loves the Buccaneers (-6.5) to cover against the Broncos. Bo Nix has looked every bit like a rookie QB as he has zero touchdown passes but an NFL-high of four interceptions. Only Bryce Young has a lower passer rating this season but even Nix has struggled in one area more than the recently benched Panthers QB. On throws of 10-plus air yards, Nix has just a 14.2 passer rating and a 25% completion percentage which is a worse CMP% than what even Young had.
Now, Nix has to face the No. 6 scoring defense which hasn't allowed a TD thru the air all season. The Bucs picked off Jared Goff twice last week, and Tampa is just as impressive offensively. They rank fourth in scoring, have committed just one turnover and have top-10 rankings in third-down conversions and redzone scoring. With the Buccaneers also 4-1 ATS over their last five against the AFC, Hartstein is firmly behind Tampa (-6.5) to cover. See which other NFL parlay picks to make here.
How to make Week 3 NFL parlays
Hartstein also jumped on two other NFL matchups, including backing one "desperate" team coming off a loss to grind out a strong Week 3 victory. You can only see Hartstein's Week 3 NFL best bets and parlay at SportsLine.
What are Hartstein's top Week 3 NFL picks, and which other NFL matchups should you target for a strong 6-1 payout? Visit SportsLine now to see the Week 3 NFL best bets from the Vegas expert who is up 24.65 units on NFL ATS picks, and find out.
