Jets vs. Panthers Week 1 Odds & Predictions

New York Jets (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)

NFL Football Week 1

Date/Time: Sunday September 12th, 2021. 1:00PM (EST)

Where: Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, N.C.

TV: CBS

Point Spread: NYJ +5/CAR -5

Over/Under Total: 44

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The Carolina Panthers will enter year two of the Matt Rhule era when they host the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium in week 1. After a mediocre debut campaign where the Panthers went 5-11 SU, Rhule and his coaching staff made numerous offseason moves with a heavy focus on bringing youth and potential to the organization. Personally, I believe Rhule and his staff are moving the Panthers in the right direction, and I believe they will take another step forward this year. The Panthers will get their first opportunity to display their new talent when they host the New York Jets as 5 point favorites inside of Bank of America Stadium.

The Panthers obviously have some questions entering the year. Carolina cut ties with QB Teddy Bridgewater and acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets in an effort to build the offense around a more prototypical quarterback. While I’m not convinced Darnold is the guy to take the Panthers to the next level, I do believe he will be a decent fit into this Panthers offense. Carolina also added another receiving threat in rookie WR Terrace Marshall to complement DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. When you combine the receiving corps with consensus No.1 running back Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers have all the potential to be very efficient on the offensive side of the football.

The Panthers’ offense will likely only be as good as QB Sam Darnold performs. Everyone knows McCaffrey will produce, but will the additions in the passing game push this offense to the next level? That is the question that I am looking to be answered when the Panthers square off against the Jets in week 1. With that said, I feel like the storyline everyone is missing in this Week 1 showdown is the expected improvement from the New York Jets. The Jets acquired WR Corey Davis, RB Tevin Coleman, WR Keelan Cole, and drafted QB Zach Wilson to help turn their offensive woes around. By all early accounts, the Jets have looked solid in the preseason from the players they need to play well, and Wilson appears to be the real deal.

Jets vs. Panthers Betting Analysis

If we go by last year’s performance, the Panthers were a much better football team that deserves to be the favorite this week. However, both teams have completely different personnel, which makes this game slightly tricky to predict. The Panthers have weapons on offense, but I also don’t believe that Sam Darnold is a highly productive NFL quarterback. Meanwhile, the Jets have acquired solid talent on the offensive side of the football and also should see a vast improvement in their pass rush after signing Carl Lawson from Cincinnati. In fact, the entire interior defensive line should be much better this season which will be extremely important in this match-up against Carolina.

As suggested by the total 44, this game could be decided by a few big plays on the offensive side of the football. For whatever reason, nobody is discussing the Carolina defense concerns. The Panthers shocked a ton of people by selecting CB Jaycee Horn in the first round, especially when there were bigger needs to address. However, the Panthers’ defense allowed nearly 30 points per game through the opening 11 weeks of the season in 2020, and I think the staff knows those concerns have not been answered. As a South Carolina Gamecocks fan, I can tell you that Horn was not a first-round talent, and the Panthers’ defense as a unit has a lot of concerns. Ultimately, this game will come down to the offense that can make a few big plays, and I’m not so sure Carolina has the edge as most people expect.

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Jets vs. Panthers Betting Trends

• The Jets are just 2-14 SU in the last 16 games.
• The Jets are just 1-8 ATS in their last nine games in September
• The Jets total has hit the “under” in 8 of the previous 12 games
• The Panthers are just 2-11 SU in their last 13 games
• The Panthers are 4-2 ATS in their previous six games
• The Panthers are 1-5 ATS in their past six games at home
• The Panthers are 6-12 ATS in their last 18 games in Week 1

Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I really think this is a 50/50 type game which means the +5 seems to provide some value. If Zach Wilson delivers, the Jets could easily pull the upset. I’ll take my chances with the Jets and the points! Question: Did you know that you could be laying -105 odds on your football bets instead of -110? Imagine how much money you’d be saving if you had the opportunity to bet at a cheaper price! Find this beautiful money saving offer at BetAnySports!