I know. Something seems a little off about this matchup.
Well, something at least seems unfamiliar, and I’m here to let you know you’re not going crazy for feeling that way. When the Panthers take the field on Sunday evening against the Lions, it will be the first time that Carolina has been featured on Sunday Night Football since all the way back in 2016 — the longest drought of any NFL franchise.
Does Cris Collinsworth even know what the Panthers’ jerseys look like? Geeze.
Speaking of firsts, let’s break down the first touchdown scorer odds for this primetime tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Lions vs. Panthers First Touchdown Scorer Odds
Lions vs. Panthers First Touchdown Scorer Picks
Jahmyr Gibbs First TD Scorer (+300)
I don’t know what else I can do here. Gibbs currently leads all NFL players in touches (83) and total touchdowns (6). If you want to narrow the scope slightly, the former first-round pick also leads the league in red zone rushing attempts (18), mostly because Gibbs has a complete monopoly on the Lions’ offense when the team is in a high-leverage situation. The Alabama product has seen 100% of Detroit’s carries from inside the 10-yard line — the lone back in football with a full-share through three weeks — while additionally garnering an 19.0% target rate in the red zone. There’s a reason he’s currently on pace to break LaDainian Tomlinson’s all-time single-season touchdown record. To top it all off, the Panthers are allowing 5.7 yards per opponent rushing attempt. That’s easily the worst-mark in the sport. Heck, Gibbs might score on the first play.
Darren Waller First TD Scorer (+1800)
Waller appears to be becoming a larger part of the Panthers’ offense with each passing week, and the veteran’s role might get even bigger on Sunday Night Football if Jalen Coker (+1600) is at all limited with his quad injury. Waller scored a pair of touchdowns in Week 2 against the Falcons, but was unable to find pay dirt in Week 3, as Carolina mostly settled for field goals in a regrettable loss to the Browns. No matter. Waller still finished last Sunday’s contest with a season-high eight targets, which was also good for the most of any Panthers’ pass-catcher. He’s quickly made himself a favorite target of Bryce Young (+2800) and that duo should be able to exploit a banged-up Lions secondary. In fact, Detroit is one of two teams currently conceding more than three opposing passing touchdowns per game. Woof.
