Two of the NFL’s worst teams from last season will try to get their 2024 campaigns off to a better start as the New England Patriots host the Carolina Panthers in the preseason openers for both squads on Thursday night.
Preseason football games are largely about who plays and who doesn’t rather than overall talent level, and it looks as though one team has intentions of playing more of their key starters than the other in this matchup.
I’ll dig into what we can expect to see in my free Panthers vs. Patriots predictions and NFL picks for August 8.
Panthers vs Patriots prediction
My best bet
Patriots -6.5 (-110 at Caesars)
My analysis
Bryce Young’s first season in the pros was far from impressive, as he completed just 59.8% of his passes and threw for 11 touchdowns against 10 picks while leading the Carolina Panthers to a 2-14 record. Those struggles were to be expected to some extent — he was sacked 62 times in his rookie season — but it did leave both fans and analysts uncertain as to Young’s future as an NFL quarterback.
Still, Young has the kind of raw talent that would play well against the typical mix of backups and rotation players playing in base formations we see from preseason defenses. Unfortunately, Panthers head coach Dave Canales says that Young won’t be playing on Thursday night, preferring not to risk his young quarterback in a meaningless exhibition.
Normally, that would mean plenty of reps for backup Andy Dalton, a veteran quarterback who I would also expect to move the ball and lead some scoring drives against preseason defenses. However, Dalton is also sidelined with a quad injury and won’t be able to play against New England.
That means that it’ll be Jack Plummer and Jake Luton who share the snaps on Thursday. Plummer is a rookie who played for the Louisville Cardinals and was picked up by Carolina as an undrafted free agent, while Luton hasn’t taken a regular season snap since playing three games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. These guys won’t have much talent to help bail them out either, as Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen are likely to take it easy in the preseason.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots will start Jacoby Brissett for a couple of series, with Bailey Zappe, Drake Maye, and Joe Milton all probable to get some snaps. Brissett and Zappe are hardly championship-caliber quarterbacks, but both have actual NFL experience. Meanwhile, Maye is likely to bust out at least one or two big runs as the rookie, formerly of the North Carolina Tar Heels, looks to complete for the QB2 spot on the Week 1 roster.
In fact, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has said that everyone who is healthy enough to play on Thursday will play at least some snaps, while Canales has said “you can’t play scared, but you’ve got to be smart,” and has suggested he’ll be protecting player health where possible.
It’s clear the Patriots are the team more interested in getting a win, especially at home. I’m taking New England to cover.
Panthers vs Patriots odds
Panthers vs Patriots live odds
Panthers vs Patriots opening odds
- Spread: Carolina +2 | New England -2
- Moneyline: Carolina +114 | New England -133
- Over/Under: Over 34 | Under 34
Panthers vs Patriots betting trend to know
The Panthers were 1-2 ATS and 0-3 straight up in the 2023-2024 preseason. Find more NFL betting trends for Panthers vs. Patriots.
Panthers vs Patriots game info
| Location: | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA |
| Date: | Thursday, August 8, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NFL Network |
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