We’re going to learn a lot about the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings this week. Both need a win, Carolina in particular, as it tries to avoid a third straight loss. The Panthers are 3-2 after falling to the Eagles, 21-18. Carolina led 15-6 late in the third quarter before giving up touchdowns on two of the Eagles’ final three possessions. Chuba Hubbard did top 100 yards on the ground, but a season-low 267 yards and three turnovers for the offense are cause for concern. The Panthers opened as one-point home favorites.
As for Minnesota, the Vikings need to be more consistent. For three weeks, the offense averaged 425 yards while its defense struggled to get stops. The defense figured it out without much explanation and has held its last two opponents under 350 yards. But now the offense has scored 26 points in two weeks. By just looking at the final statistics, it’d be hard to tell which games the Vikings won or lost this year.
Odds, Over/Under, Moneyline
| Team | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-2.5 |
45.5 |
-130 |
|
|
+110 |
All odds from BetMGM. Odds updated at 6:55 p.m. Saturday. Click here for live odds.
Betting Trends
- The Vikings are 1-4 ATS on the road in their last 5 games
- The Vikings are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games
- The Panthers are 4-10-1 ATS at home in their last 15 games
- The Panthers are 4-11 at home in their last 15 games
- The Panthers are 1-6 ATS as home favorites in their last 7 games
- The Over is 1-7 in Panthers games in their last 8 games
Click here to learn more about The Athletic’s FREE betting contest with BetPrep.
Storylines for Vikings-Panthers
Minnesota Vikings news
The Vikings are the only team below .500 that has a positive point differential with their three losses having come by a combined 11 points. Minnesota is averaging 22.6 points per game and allowing 21.8. Kirk Cousins has posted a 103.7 passer rating. Justin Jefferson has been his top target, hauling in 33 passes for 462 yards. Jefferson had a team-high 124 yards in the Vikings’ 19-17 win against the Lions and now has the second-most 100-yard games of any player since 2020.
Carolina Panthers news
The Panthers are allowing just 161 passing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL. A big reason has been their impressive pass rush, which has collected 16 sacks. Haason Reddick has an NFC-best 6.5 sacks. Carolina has complemented that impressive defense with a solid rushing attack. Sam Darnold leads all quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns and Chuba Hubbard, who has filled in for an injured Christian McCaffrey, had his first career game with at least 100 yards rushing. Hubbard has tallied at least 70 yards from scrimmage in his last three games.
Expert picks
| Writer | Straight Up Pick |
|---|---|
|
Tashan Reed |
|
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Nick Kosmider |
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Jay Morrison |
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Mark Kaboly |
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Michael-Shawn Dugar |
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Chris Burke |
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Ben Standig |
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Katherine Terrell |
|
|
Ted Nguyen |
More NFL Expert Picks
(Photo of Sam Darnold: Andy Lewis / Getty Images; The Athletic may receive an affiliate commission if you open an account with BetMGM through links contained in the above article.)
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