The Panthers (3-7) have had a brutal time over these last several weeks, facing a series of difficult opponents that could make deep playoff runs. Things should get a little easier on Sunday when they host the Lions (4-5).
Right now, there’s no consensus among the experts about who will win this one. Here’s a review of who they’re picking.
ESPN: Lions
Seven of ESPN’s 10 experts are predicting a win for Detroit.
MMQB: Panthers
Five out of six experts at the MMQB chose Carolina.
USA Today: Panthers
Five out of seven panelists for USA Today also picked the Panthers.
CBS Sports: Lions
Will Brinson has the Lions winning, 21-17.
Sporting News: Lions
Bill Bender says it will be 27-24, Detroit.
Pro Football Talk: Panthers
Mike Florio is picking the Panthers to win, 24-20.
It’s no surprise that there’s a pretty even split, here. This is a tough game to call. These teams are mostly evenly-matched and both Teddy Bridgewater and Matt Stafford have minor injuries and were limited in practice on Thursday. That said, we expect Mike Davis to roll over this soft Detroit run defense and Matt Rhule should be able to exploit Matt Patricia’s mistakes.
If Bridgewater is in the lineup, we feel confident enough to predict a final score of Panthers 31, Lions 23. However, if either Will Grier or P.J. Walker wind up starting, we’ll take Detroit 26, Carolina 24.
