The Carolina Panthers struggled mightily throughout their 2023-24 campaign, never holding a fourth-quarter lead on their way to a dismal 2-15 record while only managing to cover the closing NFL spread four times. Their two victories, against the Texans and Falcons, came in dramatic fashion at the final whistle. Along with the gross mismanagement from the top down, they failed to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, having traded it to the Chicago Bears the previous year to acquire Bryce Young. With a fresh leadership team in place, including a new coaching staff and front office, the Panthers are determined to reverse their fortunes. Former first-round pick Dan Morgan now leads as general manager, while Dave Canales, known for his successful stints with the Seahawks and Buccaneers, takes charge as the franchise's seventh head coach. Canales, who rejuvenated Baker Mayfield's career last season and previously worked with Geno Smith while with the Seahawks, faces the challenge of revitalizing an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories. Key to his task will be rebuilding Young's confidence after a difficult rookie season. Despite a bleak futures odds forecast from online sportsbooks, Carolina’s upcoming NFL season is all about laying a foundation for future success. These changes have me cautiously optimistic that the Panthers could defy expectations, particularly regarding their season win total odds.
NFL Regular Season Wins Odds
Carolina Panthers 2024-25 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Panthers Over 5.5 Wins -116
Panthers Under 5.5 Wins -104
A Case for the Over: Last season, the Panthers' offensive line surrendered 65 sacks, second only to the New York Giants. An offense can't thrive when the quarterback is constantly under duress. To address this glaring problem area, Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis were brought in to strengthen the guard positions, pushing Ikem Ekwonu to left tackle. The revamped interior of the front wall could go a long way in drastic improvement made within the Panthers passing game metrics. The running game proved to be one of the few strengths Carolina exhibited (No. 20), which bodes well for Chuba Hubbard, who showed player prop bettors that he does in fact have enough in the tank to serve as the primary RB1. Jonathan Brooks was also drafted, and he, along with Miles Sanders, will support Hubbard as needed splitting work out of the backfield. An improved rushing attack would complement a revamped passing game, highlighted by the acquisition of Diontae Johnson, providing Young with a true WR1 that knows how to get separation; something last year’s crop of pass catchers simply couldn’t attain. This addition should lead to improved overall performance from Young, reflected in his projected passing yards for the season 370+ yards higher than the 2,877 yards thrown for last season. Johnson, along with veteran Adam Thielen, will play crucial roles in helping develop South Carolina WR Xavier Legette, who the Panthers traded up to draft in the first round. While not exactly pretty, Carolina made it a point to improve itself offensively which in turn could see it win a few more games than expected.
A Case for the Under: The defense, the only saving grace of the Panthers last season, faces significant challenges after losing key players to free agency and trades. With Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu departing, essential components of the unit that held opposing offenses to under 294 yards per game (No. 4) and just over 171 passing yards per game (No. 3) last season are now absent. Together, Burns and Luvu contributed 98 solo tackles and 13.5 sacks. Under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, the team looks to integrate new additions like Jadeveon Clowney and Dane Jackson. The effectiveness of these adjustments remains uncertain, especially considering Clowney's role as the unit’s key pass rusher. It’ll be interesting to see how locked in the veteran is once the season goes sideways, of which it will. After being the strength of the team last season, I fully expect the stop unit to be the detriment this time around.
2024-25 Carolina Panthers Schedule
I'll take on some risk here and predict that the Panthers offense won't be the unmitigated disaster it proved to be a season ago. Canales has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks, and I expect him to work his magic with Young in his first stint as a head coach. The offensive line, once a major weakness, now has the potential to be one of the team’s strengths. Alongside what I see as a playmaker in Hubbard and the addition of Johnson, Carolina's offense should improve significantly. Johnson has been eager for a chance to shine as a premier WR1, and his player prop supporters will hope he seizes the opportunity. Despite being underdogs in all 17 scheduled games at the online sportsbook, seven of those matchups have spreads of three points or less. Winning most of these games and pulling off a few surprises could easily see the Panthers surpass their modest win total odds. It may not be pretty, but I wouldn't be surprised if the team competes for division bragging rights given the perceived weakness of an NFC South that doesn’t possess a dominant force to call its own.
NFL Win Total Prediction: Carolina Panthers Over 5.5 Wins
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