The Carolina Panthers are off to about as good of a start as they could've hoped for in the Sam Darnold era, going 2-0 with wins over the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. Week 3 presents another favorable matchup as they're set to take on the Houston Texans on the road.

This could be a classic trap game for the Panthers as the Texans are looking like one of the worst teams in the NFL. But it's a Thursday night tiff and they haven't looked as bad as we thought. It'll be an interesting game without a doubt. Let's get into some bold predictions.

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Panthers Week 3 Predictions

4. DJ Moore and Robby Anderson combine for 150+ yards and two or more touchdowns

The Texans have had trouble defending opposing wide receivers, especially in Week 1. The top two receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 against the Texans were DJ Chark and Marvin Jones. The duo combined for 163 yards and two touchdowns in a game that saw the Jaguars trail the entire time. Week 2 was against the Cleveland Browns and the Browns receivers were largely held in check throughout the game.

With the Panthers coming to town, the Texans will be facing a dynamic receiver duo in DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. Moore could get the short to medium throws all game while Anderson is a threat to go for a huge play at any time. The Texans will be unable to contain them as they are thin at cornerback so expect the duo to combine for a big performance with 150 or more yards with two or more touchdowns definitely possible.

3. Sam Darnold will have his best game for Panthers so far

The move for the Panthers to acquire Darnold and plug him in as their undoubted starting quarterback is one that has paid off. He's looked pretty good for the most part through two games, combining for 584 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. While he's been impressive, he hasn't had a huge game. And throughout his career, he's had very few huge games playing with the New York Jets. But expect the matchup with the Texans to be his best game with the Panthers and possibly of his entire career.

Darnold has never thrown for 350 or more yards and has only thrown for three or more touchdowns a few times. This will be his ultimate breakout game as he finally eclipses 350 and throws for three touchdowns in a single game. He has the talent, he just hasn't had the opportunity with the roster around him and the right opponent to go off against.

2. Allow less than 190 yards 

Allowing 190 or fewer yards of offense in a game is absurdly difficult, but that's exactly what the Panthers are averaging through two games. No defense has been better at defense this season and expect that to continue in Week 3 against the Texans.

David Cully and his wards have looked surprisingly good on offense so far but star quarterback Tyrod Taylor just went down with an injury so Davis Mills will be getting the starting job. Mills on a lackluster offense against a strong Carolina defense is setting up the Texans for disaster in Week 3.

1. Win by double the -8 spread

The Panthers are heavily favored in the game with an eight-point margin and I'm going to continue ripping the Texans here. They're putting in a rookie quarterback who has no business playing for this team until next year at least against one of the best defenses.

On the other side, the Panthers offense looks to be getting better as all the players become more accustomed to playing with each other. Darnold looks to be a fine quarterback after bolting from the Jets and having guys like Anderson, Moore, and Christian McCaffrey as offensive weapons certainly helps. Expect the Panthers to blow out the Texans in this one.