Panthers vs Cardinals Predictions - Early Picks & Odds for Week 2

Although the Cardinals are coming off a flat performance in their home opener, Ed Scimia expects Arizona to take care of business at home against Carolina.

Ed Scimia - Contributor at Covers.com
Ed Scimia • Betting Analyst
Sep 9, 2025 • 14:56 ET • 4 min read

NFL

Match starts: 115 hrs
ARI
73 %
CAR
27 %
Read Analysis
Budda Baker Arizona Cardinals NFL
Photo By - Imagn Images. Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3).

The Arizona Cardinals will try to get out to a 2-0 start when they host the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

Arizona didn’t exactly look impressive in its Week 1 win, but my Panthers vs. Cardinals predictions still like them to handle a rebuilding Carolina roster.

Let’s take a look at the early lines and which way bettors should lean in my free NFL picks for September 14.

Panthers vs Cardinals predictions

Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.

Early Panthers vs Cardinals spread pick: Cardinals moneyline

-115 at FanDuel

The Arizona Cardinals are fresh off an ugly victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, but a win is a win.

Fueled mostly by an excellent effort from the defensive secondary, the Cardinals are set to feast on Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.

Once again, Young struggled behind center in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing just 18 of 35 passes, throwing two interceptions, and losing a fumble. Meanwhile, the Carolina defense did little to stop the Jaguars, with the linebacking corps particularly struggling against the run.

No matter what questions you have about the Cardinals, they’re far more solid than the Panthers. I’m taking Arizona to cover, especially if the line remains under a touchdown.

Early Panthers vs Cardinals total pick: Under 44.5

-120 at FanDuel

Arizona's secondary is more than capable of handling Young and his weak crop of receivers, none of whom represent a game-changing threat to opposing defenses.

Meanwhile, Kyler Murray & Co. are coming off a disappointing showing against the Saints, and Carolina was at least somewhat effective at stopping the passing game, holding Trevor Lawrence to 178 yards on 31 attempts.

Although the Cardinals will win this game, I don't expect them to produce 30+ points. Combine that with a hapless Panthers offense, and I like the Under.

Panthers vs Cardinals odds

  • Panthers vs. Cardinals spread: Cardinals -4.5
  • Panthers vs. Cardinals moneyline: Panthers +180, Cardinals -220
  • Panthers vs. Cardinals Over/Under: 46.5

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Ed Scimia - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Ed Scimia has been writing about the gaming industry for over 15 years. He graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in Magazine Journalism and Political Science in 2003, and has covered major gambling events like the World Series of Poker in his career. Since joining Covers in 2022, Ed has offered his sports betting analysis primarily on MLB, NFL, college football, and college basketball games, but is willing to take on any sport.

His betting strategy focuses more on finding line value based on deviations from the market rather than traditional handicapping, primarily shopping between DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics in his home state of Connecticut, though he’s not afraid to do deep game analysis to find profitable bets at any book.

Outside of gambling, Ed is an avid curler who competes in mixed doubles on the World Curling Tour and runs a popular curling YouTube channel, Chess on Ice. That experience has come in handy during the Olympics, when he has proven to be a successful curling bettor as well. 

Ed's advice to new bettors is to always open multiple sportsbook accounts and check the odds at each before placing any bet. Successful sports betting is about consistently beating the closing line value, which requires finding spots where one book is offering odds far better than the rest of the market and jumping on those opportunities.

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