NFL

Jets vs. Panthers Predictions, Odds, Picks

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

Sept. 12, 2021

Stuart Durst
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Predictions

Score Prediction - Panthers 27 Jets 20

The game we’ve been waiting for all offseason is here, it's the Sam Darnold Bowl! With former first round selection Sam Darnold leaving the Jets this offseason, he now gets to his former team Week 1 in Carolina. The Jets, on the other hand, have moved on and drafted Zack Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft.

It's a move they hope works out a little bit better then Darnold's tenure with the team. This game rides on Darnold's shoulders. We saw offensive talent emerge with Teddy Bridgewater last season, now it just comes down to if Darnold can unlock, and expand on it.

Darnold was chosen because of the potential he's shown in the past. While he's never had great numbers, watching him flash on tape can be very impressive at times and that's clearly what the Panthers saw. There are no major injuries the Panthers have to worry about, and in fact, they get one of the premier offensive players in the league back with Christian McCaffery. The Jets unfortunately lost free agent acquisition Carl Lawson, but recently traded for Shaq Lawson in an attempt to fix that problem.

Both of these teams will struggle on the defensive end of the ball, but it's important to keep in mind how young both of these teams are. Carolina is one year removed from a rare all-defense draft and it takes a bit of time for all those guys to develop.

The Jets brought in defensive minded coach Robert Saleh, but he hasn't had time to bring in all the pieces he would like yet. This handicap is fairly simple - the Panthers have the advantage in most categories head-to-head, and I don't think 4 points is enough for New York. The Jets are looking towards the future, but rookie QB’s don't have the best track record in their first games.

Carolina WR Terrace Marshall, Jr. is one of the betting contenders to win Offensive Rookie of the Year this season. (AP)

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Best Bets

Carolina -4

More NFL Betting Picks & Predictions

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Game Odds

Line Movements

Carolina -200
N.Y. Jets +165
Carolina (-4) -110
N.Y. Jets (+4) -110
Over 44 -110
Under 44 -110

Odds Provided by BetMGM - Subject to Change

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Betting Resources

Venue: Bank of America Stadium
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
TV-Time: CBS - 1:00 p.m. ET

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Betting Analysis

Sam Darnold is currently 14-24 against the spread in his career, which is the lowest cover percent in the NFL. That being said, he was also on the Jets. He’s in a much better situation than he's ever been before, and has coach Matt Rhule who I believe is an up and coming coach. The Jets won't go down without a fight, but I think that it's just a little too early for them to make noise. They will look to ease in rookie QB Zack Wilson and slowly build towards some momentum later in the season. This should be an exciting game, and I'm curious to see how Darnold performs against his former team.

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers Betting Trends

New York has lost nine straight games when playing in September.
Carolina has seen the road team cover the spread in 11 of its last 12 games.
Carolina has gone OVER the point total in seven straight home games when facing the AFC.

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