The Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) and Carolina Panthers (0-1) will kick off the Sunday afternoon slate of NFL Week 2. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on CBS, and the game can be streamed on Paramount+ and YouTube TV.
The Chargers are consensus 5.5-point favorites (-5) against the Panthers after the spread opened at Chargers -3.5. The over/under is currently 39 points scored, with the Chargers -250 favorites on the moneyline and the Panthers +200 underdogs to pull off the upset.
The Chargers started the Jim Harbaugh era with a solid home win over the Raiders 22-10 in Week 1 behind J.K. Dobbins' impressive rushing output. The Panthers, meanwhile, were blown out in New Orleans 47-10, where Bryce Young played one of the worst games of his young professional career.
Let's get into my Chargers vs. Panthers predictions and my NFL picks and predictions for Week 2 on Sunday.
Chargers vs. Panthers Picks
SPREAD
Plug your nose because it might be gross, but I'm betting the Panthers.
MONEYLINE
I'm just taking the points with Carolina and not betting its moneyline.
TOTAL
I'm in line with the over/under for this game.
Chargers vs. Panthers Pick: Panthers to cover the spread
Chargers vs. Panthers Odds
| Chargers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 39 -110o / -110u | -260 |
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 39 -110o / -110u | +210 |
- Chargers vs. Panthers spread: Chargers -5.5
- Chargers vs. Panthers over/under: 39 points
- Chargers vs. Panthers moneyline: Chargers -250, Panthers +200
NFL Week 2 Preview
The Panthers were an embarrassment last week. They were horrendous from the start and were quickly blown out against the Saints. They did nothing well. Also, in that game, the Panthers lost their best defensive player in defensive tackle Derrick Brown.
So, why are we here betting on the Panthers against the Chargers?
There are a lot of trends in Carolina’s favor this week. Teams coming off a loss of 35 of more points when catching four or more points the following week are 48-18-2 against the spread. Overall, teams coming off a loss of 35 or more points are 76-45-6 and cover by more than a field goal per game on average.
The market generally overreacts to these big blowout losses, but these are still professional athletes. You’re generally going to get a team’s best effort after a performance like that. Changes will be made to ensure it won’t happen again.
Also, no one will want to bet on that team, so you’re usually getting some value with it. People might say, “No, the Panthers are the exception,” but there generally isn’t one.
There really weren’t any positives about Carolina last week. Bryce Young looked awful and threw an interception on his first pass attempt of the season, although the offensive line looked slightly better.
This is a brand-new offense, though, that was playing its first game on the road. I’m not defending Young’s performance, but it can’t get worse than that. Maybe we even see Andy Dalton get some action here in place of Young, which I wouldn’t hate.
Best Bet for Chargers vs. Panthers
This is just too big of an overreaction. You have one data point to go off, and it’s obviously not an appealing one for Carolina.
The Panthers could easily get blown out again, but I don’t care. I have to bet on them on principle. I could list a trillion trends against the spread about underdogs who just got blown out the week before. If a team loses by 35 or more points, there’s a higher than 80% chance that I will be on them the following week. I’d do it again next week if the number is right.
Give me the Panthers.
Pick: Panthers +6 (Bet to +5.5)
Panthers vs. Chargers Betting Trends
- 33% of bets and 91% of the money are on the Chargers.
- 86% of bets and 77% of the money are on the under.
- 95% of bets and 97% of the money on the moneyline are on the Chargers.
How to Watch Panthers vs. Chargers: Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Bank of America Stadium |
| Date: | Sunday, Sept. 15 |
| Kickoff Time: | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS / Paramount+, YouTube TV |
Chargers vs. Panthers is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET live from Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. The game is live on CBS and can be streamed on Paramount+ or YouTube TV.
NFL Weather for Chargers vs. Panthers
