Panthers vs. Jaguars Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
Carolina started 1-7 last year, with 2023 No. 1 overall pick quarterback Bryce Young benched two games into the season. However, he returned and looked much-improved over his final 10 starts, winning four of them for the Panthers en route to a 5-12 record despite a historically bad defence.
Jacksonville lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the second half of what turned out to be a 4-13 season. This is a crucial campaign for the 2021 No. 1 overall pick and the Jaguars.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Jaguars are 3.5-point favourites on the NFL odds, with a current moneyline of -190. They were 3-3-1 against the spread at home last season, including 0-2 as a favourite.
Carolina’s moneyline is at +155. The Panthers were 3-5 against the spread on the road last year, and they were underdogs in each of those contests.
The over/under is listed at 47 points. Carolina played to the over 13 times in 17 regular season games, including six times in eight road contests.
Jacksonville played to the over four times in eight games at home.
Carolina Panthers
After returning from his benching, Young threw 15 touchdowns and gave Panthers faithful hope entering this season. The team just traded veteran receiver Adam Thielen (48-615-5), so a trio of first- or second-year wideouts, including Xavier Legette (49-497-4), Jalen Coker (32-478-2), and first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, place the future firmly in the present.
All of that won’t matter if Carolina’s defence, which allowed a league-record 534 points (31.4 ppg) and finished dead last in several categories, doesn’t improve drastically. Carolina was outscored by a whopping 193 points while allowing more than 400 yards per game, including 179.8 on the ground.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen, a member of the Sean McVay coaching tree who revived both Baker Mayfield’s career and a stuck-in-the-mud rushing attack with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, takes over as coach of the Jaguars. He is tasked with salvaging the career of Lawrence, who has stalled and finished with just 2,045 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games last season.
He has two prodigious talents at wide receiver to throw to, though. Brian Thomas Jr. was the latest LSU receiver revelation in the NFL, going for 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. He is joined by first-round pick Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner who will play both ways, with his main focus being on offence.
NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Panthers vs. Jaguars?
If Coen can repeat his Tampa Bay magic in Jacksonville (Duuuval!), the Jaguars could be sleepers in the AFC South. The same could be said for the Panthers in the NFC South if Young builds off the end of his 2024 campaign.
Both teams worked diligently to improve their defences during the offseason through free agency and the draft. Although not historically bad like Carolina’s, Jacksonville had the worst pass defence in the NFL (257.4), only 34 sacks, and a -15 turnover ratio.
The feeling here is that the Jaguars did more to improve on both sides of the ball than Carolina at this point, and being at home gives them the advantage to start the season. Look for the Jags to take a 27-17 decision on Sunday.
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