It’s time to celebrate, as anyone doing any NFL betting that followed last week’s NFL parlay came home a winner. As I was saying last week, it’s not really about shooting for the most possible upside – it’s about combining bets that will actually win.

Hitting on 9 legs gets you nowhere if the 10th leg fails, so the structure of your NFL parlays has to begin with strong bets that you feel good about in isolation. That belief led to a 4-0 run, and if you used my parlay, you know how sweet it was.

We can always aim a bit higher with my NFL Week 3 picks, but the message is going to remain the same; take some safer plays and mix in 1-2 values that you really like. Let’s build that bankroll and get wins, rather than blindly chase upside that ultimately leads us nowhere.

A new week is upon us, of course, so let’s flush that successful parlay and try to hit another one. If you need extra insight and want some other bets to consider, be sure to also check out our Week 3 NFL predictions. With that, let’s get to my top NFL parlay picks for week three.

NFL Picks and Parlays

Monitor the NFL odds throughout the week. As the odds change, the parlay payouts will change as well. 

Team	Odds	Payout Per Leg
Falcons vs. Panthers Over 43.5	-110	$90.91
Minnesota Vikings	-165	$206.61
Houston Texans	+110	$543.88
San Francisco 49ers	-135	$1,021

I am going out on a limb a little bit more than I did last week. However, anytime you can go 4-0 and quadruple your money (or more), there really isn’t a need to flirt with disaster much more than you have to.

That said, I am very high on the value associated with the Houston Texans, as they happen to be one of my favorite week 3 NFL underdog picks. I see no reason not to add them into the mix for my week 3 NFL parlay.

Houston is the only plus money bet thrown onto the pile, but they give us a considerable boost. You could stop short at just those first three picks and turn $100 into over $540, but I’ll tack on the San Francisco 49ers to get us over $1,000.

I feel very good about each leg of my week 3 NFL parlay, but perhaps you’d like more reasoning. If so, read on for my breakdown of each bet.

Of course, I’m just one voice here. The NFL odds are subject to change on any of my parlay picks, too, while you can get extra advice by leaning on the top handicappers out there.

NFL Parlay Picks

The following is our best parlay NFL picks for Week 3: 

NFL Parlay Pick 1: Falcons vs. Panthers Over 43.5 (-110)

The first pick in my favorite week 3 NFL parlay has two NFL teams heading in very different directions. The Atlanta Falcons took care of business to get to 1-1 last week, while the Carolina Panthers look lost so far with an 0-2 start.

Carolina did show signs of life in a 27-22 defeat last time out, which was progress after looking deflated in a week one blowout loss. I do think their week two game showcased the offensive upside the Panthers can bring to the table, while Atlanta did the same in week one.

Ultimately, I think the two of them can combine to hit the Over, as this 43.5 game total feels pretty light. Atlanta easily hit the Over in week one, while the Panthers did the same in week two. More importantly, of course, these teams have been involved in some wild shootouts together, with their last meeting in 2024 resulting in an insane 44-38 overtime thriller.

Bettors shouldn’t demand that same outcome, but both offenses have the ability to put up some points and with Carolina trying to avoid an 0-3 start, I can see a back-and-forth battle coming at us in week three.

NFL Parlay Pick 2: Minnesota Vikings ML (-165)

The second leg of my week three NFL parlay features the Minnesota Vikings. I know a lot of people are leaving them for dead now that second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is on the shelf with an ankle injury, but this honestly might be the best thing for them.

McCarthy did lead a ferocious comeback win in week one, but he’s otherwise been abysmal in seven of the eight quarters he’s played so far in 2025. He is still young and will probably get better, but him taking a seat for a small stretch could allow the rest of the Vikings to calibrate and right the ship a bit.

Minnesota’s coaching is elite, their defense is about as good as it gets, and they have enough offensive firepower to match wits with anyone. They are forced to turn to Carson Wentz, which I agree could obviously end up being worse, but my first inclination is to trust Kevin O’Connell’s system and also believe that a veteran presence like Wentz has a real shot at being an upgrade under center.

The other thing is the Vikings are not alone as far as losing their top quarterback goes. The team they’re facing this week – the Cincinnati Bengals – may be 2-0, but both of their games were extremely close, and now they are going to war without franchise passer, Joe Burrow.

That is a much bigger loss, especially since the Bengals once again do not look very good on the defensive side of the ball. If Wentz is even passable, I love his chances to do enough to allow Minnesota to hold down the fort at home and get to 2-1.

NFL Parlay Pick 3: Houston Texans ML (+110)

Next up are the Houston Texans, who stand tall as my lone upset pick in this week’s parlay. It is a little bit of added risk after betting on favorites last week, so it’s your call if you want to chance it with them.

That said, I really like Houston to get the win, as they face a familiar foe in the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville looked pretty good in their first two games, but their defense took a big step back in a week two loss, and I still don’t exactly trust their offense.

Houston is simply going to be more desperate in this game. They’ve also had the upper hand in this series lately, sweeping the two meetings in 2024 and winning three out of the last four matchups.

In addition, the Texans have more proven coaching, a better defense, and plenty of offensive talent that could be licking their chops ahead of this matchup. This is a playoff contender from the past two years, so even though they have dug themselves a hole that could be difficult to overcome, they’re too good to drop to 0-3.

Houston is far behind the Indianapolis Colts (2-0) for the lead in the division, so falling further behind simply is not an option. Look for CJ Stroud and the offense to find their footing and their defense to put the clamps down on Trevor Lawrence in a must-win situation.

NFL Parlay Pick 4: San Francisco 49ers ML (-135)

Lastly, I see no reason to not like the San Francisco 49ers this week. They still have to go to war with Mac Jones under center, but he did a fantastic job last week and should be able to be decent enough as he prepares to battle the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers are definitely banged up, but Jones passed the eye test in a week two win, and I’m not too threatened by Arizona’s defense at the moment. This is a huge game within the NFC West, too, as these are two of three undefeated squads within the division.

Something has to break here, but Arizona has taken advantage of two weak opponents to start the season, and has a pretty big jump in competition level as they head to the Bay Area to take on the Niners.

Trusting in Mac Jones doesn’t feel amazing, but the 49ers own the better defense, they have more offensive talent, and they also have superior coaching. The home field edge is the kicker for me in a game where they feel like a startling value against an inferior opponent.

NFL Parlay Total Payout

As noted, this parlay has a mild amount of risk. It’s a lot riskier than last week’s winner, but it also offers double the return if it hits. You don’t have to bet a full $100 every time, but I give that example to illustrate what you stand to win if you do risk that much.

For my week 3 NFL parlay, you’re looking at $1,021 for every $100 risked, depending on which sports betting sites you come home. As I always say, the actual NFL odds will differ at various sportsbooks, too, so be sure to shop around before finalizing your

If you are loving these NFL parlay picks, then check out our College Football parlays of the week and double down on this weekend’s gridiron action.