It wasn’t a season filled with wins, but Carolina defied preseason expectations– many of which put them picking first overall in the upcoming draft. Instead, new head coach Matt Rhule set the tone and the culture for the Panthers moving forward. The Panthers were without superstar Christian McCaffrey for most of the entire season, but the offense showed up anyway. The receiving tandem of D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson exceeded hopes and turned Carolina into an offense that had explosive potential.
As was the case last offseason, the defense needs attention. The defense was anchored by star rookie Jeremy Chinn and pass rusher Brian Burns, but offenses gashed the unit nonetheless. Carolina will likely dip back into the defensive pot this coming draft, just a year after selecting the first all-defense rookie class in NFL history. Panthers fans have a right to be optimistic about their future under offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The question will remain whether Brady can salvage the career of former-maligned Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, who was acquired for late-round draft picks in early April.
Carolina Panthers odds
Best Panthers betting site(s)
Panthers prop bets
Prop bets are based on individual performance, typically surrounding players. After a quiet start to the season, D.J. Moore became an excellent value target for prop betting in the NFL season’s later weeks. For example, Moore’s projected receiving total in the Panthers’ Week 7 matchup with the New Orleans Saints was 67.5 yards. That game, he hauled in 93 yards and those that bet over his receiving prop would have cashed out.
Search below for Carolina Panthers team or player props currently being offered at sportsbooks. You can also look around at other teams and players using this tool. Happy shopping!
Panthers futures odds
Futures are long-term bets that can range from an offseason to a full season (or beyond). Team win totals, award winners, and player performance are common futures. For example:
2020 Odds to win NFL DROY
- Chase Young -110
- Patrick Queen +450
- Kenneth Murray +1000
- Jaylon Johnson +1500
This line for the Defensive Rookie of the Year would often be bet before the season starts. Futures allow for bettors to capitalize on players they think are favorites to win awards long before the odds shift away from their favor. For example, Queen opened with odds of +900 to win the DROY award after the NFL Draft; his odds will shift as the season develops based on his performance for the Ravens defense.
Panthers Super Bowl LVI odds
The Carolina Panthers opened with +4500 odds to win Super Bowl LVI. While those odds are in the bottom half of the league, they are significantly better than their 2020 Super Bowl odds.
Panthers NFC South odds
The Carolina Panthers were mathematically eliminated from the NFC South race in 2020.
Panthers win totals
7.5 wins (-110 over)/(-110 under)
Under new quarterback Sam Darnold, it’s expected that the Panthers take a step in the right direction. While the offense has already shown to be in good shape, the defense will need to carry its weight to keep Carolina on track.
Carolina Panthers 2021 schedule and betting odds
Check back for the complete Panthers 2021 schedule along with the opening spreads for every game.
How to bet on the Carolina Panthers
Moneyline
The moneyline is the simplest of bets, decided by the straight-up winner and loser of each game. Consider the following example:
- Ravens -185
- Panthers +310
The Panthers are heavy underdogs in this matchup, paying out $410 total for a $100 bet ($310 in winnings). The Ravens are the favorites in this matchup (indicated by -185), requiring a $185 bet to win $100 (plus the initial bet back). How much either team wins or loses by does not matter in moneyline betting, the payout remains the same.
Point spread
Betting on the point spread is determinant on how many points a team wins or loses by. Take the following example:
- Panthers -3.5 (-110)
- Washington +3.5 (-110)
In this example, Carolina is favored by 3.5 points, indicated by “-3.5.” If the Panthers win the game 24-20, the Panthers (-3.5) win the bet and would have a total payout of $19.09 on a $10 bet ($9.09 in profit). If the Washington keep the game within four and lose 23-17, Washington (+3.5) would win, and the payout would be the same as listed above.
Point total (over/under)
The point total refers to the over/under line set by books. This number projects the total number of points scored in a game and, like prop betting, is bet whether one thinks the score will go over or under the set point total. For example, the Panthers’ Week 8 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons had a projected point total of 44.5 points. The Panthers lost that game 25-17, resulting in 42 total points. Those that bet under the point total would have cashed out.
In-play and live betting
Sometimes, the most thrilling and rewarding bets are bets made while games are being played. These are referred to as live bets or in-play bets. Odds are ever-changing during games, which would prove to be fruitful for sharp and prepared bettors. For example, if the Panthers (-110) were heavily favored against the Jets (+190) before kickoff, a payout on a $10 bet on Carolina to win would win $9.09.
However, say the Panthers fell to a big 21-3 deficit in the first half despite controlling the overall game (due to costly turnovers or a special teams gaffe). Odds may swing in favor of the Jets, who may be a -110 favorite at halftime. Taking the Panthers to come back and win the game could present plus-odds (say, +155). Should a bettor take Carolina (+155) at halftime and the Panthers pull off the comeback, winners would win $15.50 instead of $9.09 (plus the initial $10 bet).
This could also be an effective way to “hedge” your bet; say a bettor took the Jets (+190) in that game, but Carolina jumps out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and is controlling the overall feel of the game, bettors could hedge by throwing some money down on Carolina (-190) to return some of the inevitably-lost bet.
Parlays and teasers
You can always string bets together in the form of parlays or teasers. Usually during busy Sundays, bettors can parlay several teams to win or cover against the spread and if all bets are successful, the payouts are multiplied. Teasers function similarly, except they allow bettors to move each point spread to a more favorable line in exchange for diminished odds.
Panthers 2020 recap
Record: 5-11
Record ATS: 9-7
Over/under record: 7-9
Taking the Panthers’ record without context would have indicated that this team had a failure of a season and were noncompetitive. However, the Panthers had several close call games where they looked like a threat to top teams, including the Saints (lost 27-24), the Chiefs (lost 33-31) and the Packers (lost 24-16). While Teddy Bridgewater isn’t the long term answer for the franchise, he was sufficient and moved the offense with the skill group Carolina fielded.
Panthers 2021 offseason moves
Key trades: Sam Darnold (from Jets)
Key re-signings: T Taylor Moton (franchise tag)
Key free agent losses: Curtis Samuel (to Washington)
Key free agent signings: LB Denzel Perryman (two years, $12 million), EDGE Haason Reddick (one year, $8 million), G Cameron Erving (two years, $8 million), WR David Moore (two years, $4.8 million)
Draft pick position needs: OT, CB, TE