Heading into week three of the NFL season, our own Irascible Ira Kaufman is off to a good start, going 9-7 ATS. He even managed his surprise special: Minnesota plus 4 ½ in Arizona (the Cardinals won 34-33). So here we go again, and let’s see if our expert can come back for usracing.com and his punters. Ira Kaufman is an award-winning sports writer, former Tampa Tribune columnist, and currently co-host of an NFL-themed podcast, columnist for a website covering Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a weekly contributor on Sirius XM Mad Dog Sports Radio.

By Ira Kaufman

The Saints and Texans both returned to Earth in Week 2, while Tennessee, Buffalo and New England rebounded from disappointing starts to the season.

It’s no surprise to see the Bucs, Rams and 49ers start 2-0, but few expected Carolina, Las Vegas and Denver to show such strength early on.

The Panthers, Raiders and Broncos are all strong favorites on Sunday to go undefeated as the Bucs and Rams meet in an NFC showdown in September in Los Angeles.

Here is the slate for week 3, with odds of BUSR.ag.

Week 3 NFL odds and selections

Panthers -8 at Texans (Thursday night)

Here’s a chance for Carolina’s aggressive young defense to show off in front of a nationwide TV audience. Panthers, 27-13.

Jaguars +7 1/2 vs. Cardinals

Arizona’s defense still has a lot to prove, and Trevor Lawrence is about to deal some damage – if Chandler Jones doesn’t hit him first. Cardinals, 30-24.

Chargeurs +6 1/2 at Chiefs

The Chargers let one slip at home against Dallas, but Justin Herbert will make KC’s suspicious defense pay. MALICIOUS SPECIAL: Chargers, 34-31.

Bruns -7 vs. Bear

Led by Nick Chubb, Cleveland’s punishing ground game will wear out Chicago. Bruns, 24-14.

Tickets -8 1/2 against Washington

Buffalo ironed out some problems early on by beating Miami and Josh Allen is just getting started. Invoices, 30-17.

Titans -5 vs. Colts

This is an impressive road victory for Mike Vrabel’s rough Seattle squad, led by the relentless Derrick Henry. Titans, 27-20.

Patriots -2 1/2 vs. Saints

New England’s defensive complexity will test the patience of Jameis Winston, who comes out of a lackluster effort at Charlotte. Patriots, 21-17.

Falcons +3 vs. Giants

Matt Ryan gains confidence in rookie Kyle Pitts as two desperate 0-2 clubs collide in the Meadowlands. Falcons, 23-21.

Bengals +3 1/2 at Steelers

Joe Mixon is expected to find open race tracks at Heinz Field, where Ben Roethlisberger is showing his age. Steelers, 30-27.

Lions +7 1/2 against Ravens

Baltimore must guard against disappointment after Sunday night’s emotional win over the Chiefs. Ravens, 31-24.

Broncos -10 1/2 against Jets

Teddy Bridgewater is off to a great start for Denver while Zach Wilson experiences growing pains with a pedestrian attack. Broncos, 35-14.

Raiders -4 against dolphins

Speaking of great starts, even Jon Gruden has a hard time finding fault with Derek Carr’s decision making. Raiders, 34-20.

Bucs -1 1/2 vs. Rams

Tampa Bay takes an 8-game winning streak on the road in Los Angeles as Tom Brady continues his assault on Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 55 touchdowns. Bucs, 30-27.

Vikings +1 1/2 against Seahawks

With both clubs suffering narrow losses, Dalvin Cook is making the difference for the home team. Vikings, 33-31.

49ers -3 1/2 vs Packers (Sunday evening)

This 49er defense is real – Green Bay’s is not. 49ers, 24-17.

Cowboys -4 vs. Eagles (Monday night)

The Cowboys showed a bit of moxie against the Chargers, reverting to their smashmouth manners as Dak Prescott threw just 27 passes. Cowboys, 27-20.

–

Last week:

Upward: 10-6; ATS: 9-7.