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The Denver Broncos expected to be near the bottom of the NFL standings with the Carolina Panthers this season. However, a rookie quarterback has led the team to wins in four of their last five games and a tie for the second wild-card spot. The Panthers will likely be battling with the New England Patriots for the first-overall pick, but considering each team's needs, they should have their pick of a quarterback. It is time to continue our NFL odds series with a Panthers-Broncos prediction and pick.
It can't get much worse for the Panthers. They hold a 1-6 record this season and have sent their 2023 first-overall pick, Bryce Young, to the bench. They put Andy Dalton in the starting role to close out the rest of the season. However, he was unfortunately involved in a car accident this week that put his status into question. Bryce Young was QB1 again in practice on Wednesday, which was not the Panthers' plan. It was more likely that the Panthers were exploring trade options for the undersized quarterback as they scout quarterbacks in this year's draft.
Speaking of unproven quarterbacks, Bo Nix has done enough to put the Broncos in second in the AFC West. The Broncos started the season with two consecutive losses but have won four of their last five games. Their only blemish was a 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers two weeks ago. Their win over the New Orleans Saints last week was impressive, as they won by 23 points on three days rest.
Here are the Panthers-Broncos NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Panthers-Broncos Odds
Carolina Panthers: +9 (-110)
Moneyline: +350
Denver Broncos: -9 (-110)
Moneyline: -450
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
How to Watch Panthers vs. Broncos
Time: 4:25 PM ET/1:25 PM PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Broncos are 4-3 this season, but much of their success has come on the road, where they have a 3-1 record. Empower Field at Mile High hasn't given the Broncos much home-field advantage, as they are 1-2. The Broncos have also been good against the spread this season, covering five of their seven games. However, their two failed covers were also at home.
Why The Broncos Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Panthers' offense looked competent after Young took a seat for Dalton. Since making his debut, Young has been looking like one of the worst quarterbacks in a long time, which isn't good as the signal caller for one of the worst rosters as well. The benching gave Young more time to develop and either move to a different team or become a different quarterback. He hasn't been on the sidelines long enough for either of those to happen, which could make this game a disaster for the Panthers.
Bo Nix hasn't been blowing anyone away with his quarterback play, but he protects the ball and does enough to get wins. The Broncos have the 27th-best offense in the league but own the third-best defense. The Panthers will struggle to generate any offense in this matchup, setting the stage for another failed cover.
Final Panthers-Broncos Prediction & Pick
It's hard to see the Panthers scoring many points in this game, and the belief isn't fully there in the Broncos, either. This could easily be a game where the Broncos win 10-3 and fail to cover the spread, so we'll stay away from taking a side. Instead, we'll take the under, as there aren't many paths for the Panthers to reach double-digit points.
Final Panthers-Broncos Prediction & Pick: Under 43.5 (-110)
