Panthers vs. Packers NFL Player Prop Bets and Picks for Thursday Night Football

The NFL Week 8 slate kicks off with a primetime matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers in the Thursday Night Football battle.

Both teams are in tight races in their respective NFC divisions. The Panthers are off to a 3-3 start to the season, currently holding a half-game advantage over the Atlanta Falcons for the top spot in the NFC South. The Packers sit in last place in the NFC North following their 4-3 start to the season. Expect this race to come down to the wire, with the Vikings off to a 6-0 start, the Bears holding a 5-2 record, and the Lions entering Week 8 with a 4-2 record of their own.

Looking at the odds for the Thursday Night matchup, the Packers enter as 3.5-point home favorites with -192 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Panthers are +160 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 47.5 points.

There are plenty of ways to get involved beyond betting on one side. For now, let’s look at my top three player props for the Week 8 Thursday Night Football matchup.

Panthers at Packers NFL Player Prop Bets for Thursday Night Football

Josh Jacobs Over 57.5 Rushing Yards (-115)

Josh Jacobs made his return to the football field last week after starting the season on the commissioner’s exempt list due to an ongoing investigation. It is worth noting that Jacobs has not officially been cleared of all wrongdoing, and a suspension could still occur depending on the full findings. However, for at least the time being, Jacobs has been cleared to play football, and the Packers will rely on him as such. He made his debut last week, recording 11 carries for 36 rushing yards against the Detroit Lions, while adding five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown through the air. MarShawn Lloyd tallied six carries, while Savion Williams had a pair of carries himself to round out the team’s rushing production.

This is a much more favorable matchup for the three-time Pro Bowler. Carolina has allowed 153.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks dead last in the NFL. The Panthers also rank 32nd in rushing touchdowns conceded and net yards per rush attempt allowed. Bucky Irving shredded the Panthers for 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last week, and the Chicago Bears also gashed them for 291 rushing yards in the season opener, with both D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai surpassing 100 yards.

There is fair concern about this Packers’ offensive line, but Jacobs provided a jolt to their overall attack upon his return last week. He tallied 91 scrimmage yards in his season debut, and this matchup should provide him with more opportunities in the rushing attack. This is especially true if Green Bay plays with the lead, which feels completely on the table at home this week and is based on the level they have recently played at. The volume of offensive action that Jacobs saw in his first week back was encouraging, and this should only continue against the worst rushing defense in the league. The 28-year-old has averaged 69.5 rushing yards per game during his tenure with the Packers and has tallied as many as 97.2 average rushing yards per game across a season. Expect the 57.5 rushing yard total to be too low based on the context of this matchup and for Jacobs to clear this in his second game back this year.

Chuba Hubbard Anytime Touchdown (-120)

On the other side of this matchup, Chuba Hubbard is also in line for a strong performance. Through his first six games, the Oklahoma State product has recorded 96 carries for 459 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. He has reached the end zone in three of his past five games and has six total touchdowns through six appearances this season.

The Packers rank 11th in points allowed, and 13th in total yards conceded this season. They also rank 17th in total rushing yards allowed, 13th in net yards per rush attempt, and 24th in rushing touchdowns conceded.

Carolina has been elite in the red zone this season, scoring on 86% of their red zone appearances and recording a touchdown in 68% of these. Hubbard has been a major driving force of this, with twice as many touchdowns as the next-highest position player on the Carolina roster. Given the favorable matchup against this Packers’ rushing defense and the involvement of Hubbard in the offense, the -120 odds of an anytime touchdown are great value. Expect Carolina to give him chances whenever they are within range and for him to remain a major part of the game plan this week.

Bryce Young Over 36.5 Pass Attempts (-102)

It has been an impressive start to the season for Bryce Young. The former first overall pick has completed 59.2% of his passes for 1,712 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions through the first six games of the season. Young is averaging 38.0 pass attempts, 285.3 passing yards, and 2.0 passing touchdowns per game.

There are fair critiques of Young’s passing efficiency, both this season and throughout his career. He ranks 25th or worse among quarterbacks with at least 600 dropbacks since 2024 in EPA per dropback, dropback success rate, completion percentage, and off-target percentage. There were some major red flags in his first three seasons, and his performance this year has not been perfect. However, it is evident that the Panthers have handed him the keys to the offense and are willing to live and die with his performance. Through the opening seven weeks, Young is also on pace to set a career high in air yards per attempt. 

The Packers’ pass defense has been strong to start the season. They enter the week ranking ninth in passing yards allowed, eighth in net yards per pass attempt allowed, and 11th in passing touchdowns allowed. Green Bay has won three of its past four games and still generated 324 yards of offense in last week’s loss to the Detroit Lions. The Packers are 3.5-point favorites for a reason and will benefit from home-field advantage in this matchup. If the Panthers fall behind, it should only improve the outlook for Young to air it out at a high rate. The Alabama product has attempted 37, 36, 48, 41, 39, and 27 passes across his first six games, exceeding 36.5 pass attempts in four of those six matchups. Expect Young and the Panthers to need to do the same and air it out at a high rate this week as well. Count on the 36.5 pass attempt line to be too low based on his usage in this offense and the defensive matchup.