The Carolina Panthers are entering a new era. They have a new coaching staff led by head coach Frank Reich. The defensive staples are still intact, but the offense has been overhauled. The Panthers traded up for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and selected QB Bryce Young. He has already been named the Week 1 starter for the team.
Joining Young on offense are running back Miles Sanders, receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark, and tight end Hayden Hurst. They will look to help Carolina improve on its 7-10 season from a year ago.
Panthers Super Bowl odds: +8000
Carolina hopes they have drafted a quarterback that will lead them to their first franchise Super Bowl win, but that doesn’t mean it will be this year. They would need a lot to go correctly and things to go horribly for some NFC powerhouses to even make it through the playoffs to the Super Bowl. I don’t think they will be a bad Super Bowl bet in the future, but not in 2023.
Panthers NFC South division title odds: +400
While I don’t think the Panthers have a good shot at winning the Super Bowl, I think the division is much more reasonable. They finished second last year with a 7-10 record. Tampa Bay won the South but no longer has Tom Brady. Baker Mayfield and/or Kyle Trask are unlikely to help them to another title. The Atlanta Falcons are also rebuilding and if Derek Carr is indeed cooked, New Orleans won’t contend despite having the division’s best defense on paper.
Panthers win total odds: Over 7.5 (-105), Under 7.5 (-115)
Carolina has its bye week in Week 7, and we will learn a lot about this team in the first six weeks of the season. The Falcons and the Panthers are looking to avoid lengthy rebuilds and face each other in Week 1. I mentioned that the Saints have the best divisional defense on paper, and Young will face them in Week 2. Carolina will then face the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins before the bye. That is a brutal stretch, but it gets better in the second half of the season.
Even if the Panthers head into the bye week 2-4 or 1-5, I think they perform much better in the second half of the season. I have them 2-4 at the bye and then 7-4 after for at least a 9-8 record. I’m taking the over for Carolina’s win total this year.