Ethermac|NFL Week 3 picks straight up and against spread: Will Ravens beat Cowboys for first win?

Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season arrives with some rather compelling matchups that didn't seem likely to qualify as must-see football even a week ago.

The EthermacMinnesota Vikings will host the Houston Texans in a battle of undefeated teams Sunday afternoon. Also in the the 1 p.m. ET time slot is another pairing of unbeatens as the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the New Orleans Saints are aiming for their own 3-0 start, needing to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who are on a short week after their Monday night collapse.

In Sunday's late afternoon broadcast window, most of the country will see the Baltimore Ravens take on the Dallas Cowboys in North Texas in a meeting of 2023 Super Bowl hopefuls who are currently on the struggle bus. The Carolina Panthers will also be playing then, hoping to spark their season behind veteran QB Andy Dalton, who replaces benched former No. 1 pick Bryce Young.

Sunday's lineup concludes with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Atlanta Falcons on NBC's prime-time air. Monday night will feature the season's first twinbill as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills play at 7:30 p.m. with the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals kicking off 45 minutes later, both games on the ESPN family of networks.

What surprises – and maybe even locks – lurk? Our panel of experts weighs in.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

USA TODAY Sports 2024 NFL season predictions: Our picks to win Super Bowl 59, MVP, rookies of the year, Nate Davis' updated win projections and more

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

• New England Patriots at New York Jets
• New York Giants at Cleveland Browns
• Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts
• Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings
• Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints
• Los Angeles Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans
• Carolina Panthers at Las Vegas Raiders
• Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks
• Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals
• Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys
• San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
• Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons
• Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
• Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals

All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.