Carolina Panthers (0-2) will face off against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) this Sunday at 4:05 p.m. EDT on CBS. The Raiders are favored to win by 5 points according to BetMGM NFL odds and hold a series record of 4-3 against the Panthers.
Carolina is 0-2 against the spread while Las Vegas stands at 1-1. The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 34-30 victory for the Raiders on September 13, 2020, in Charlotte.
Last week, the Panthers suffered a 26-3 loss to the Chargers, whereas the Raiders secured a 26-23 win against the Ravens.
In terms of offensive rankings, the Panthers currently rank last overall, 29th in rushing, 31st in passing, and last in scoring. On the defensive side, they rank 25th overall, 31st against the run, 9th against the pass, and last in scoring.
The Raiders offense ranks 22nd overall, last in rushing, 7th in passing, and 20th in scoring. Defensively, the Raiders rank 23rd overall, 29th against the run, 15th against the pass, and 19th in scoring.
Quarterback Andy Dalton is a player to watch for the Panthers as he steps in for Bryce Young after being benched by the head coach. Dalton has a career record of 83-78-2 as a starter with 246 touchdown passes and 144 interceptions.
For the Raiders, running back Zamir White will be a player to keep an eye on, tasked with following the footsteps of Josh Jacobs who recently left the team.
Injuries for the upcoming game include Panthers DT Shy Tuttle with a foot injury, and Raiders LB Divine Deablo and CB Decamerion Richardson dealing with respective injuries.
The series history between the two teams includes the Raiders’ first game as Las Vegas’ team in 2000 against the Panthers, and the past two high-scoring meetings resulted in the Raiders winning by a combined score of 69-62.
Statistical notes reveal that the Panthers have the worst record in the league since 2018. RB Chuba Hubbard is solidifying his role as the starting running back for the Panthers, while Dalton has 32 career games with at least 300 yards passing.
Fantasy advice suggests keeping an eye on WR Adam Thielen, who showed good chemistry with Dalton in the past, as he could be a valuable target in the game.