Football is back, and while the preseason isn’t much of a battleground like regular season games, they provide us the chance to watch players fight for a roster spot. This is where the foundation of the season is built, so let’s dig into this Week 1 clash between the Jets and Panthers, which will feature the debut of first-overall pick Bryce Young.
Jets vs. Panthers Odds
NFL odds used for this New York vs Carolina preview were found at FanDuel Sportsbook and are current as of 8/8/23 at 4 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Panthers (-175) • Jets (+150)
- Spread: Panthers -3.5 (-110) • Jets +3.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 37.5 (-110) • Under 37.5 (-110)
- Implied Score: Panthers 20.5, Jets 17
Jets vs Panthers Predictions
Score Pick: Panthers 22, Jets 13
Betting the NFL preseason requires a different approach than covering the regular season. The stakes are not nonexistent, but they are much different; the priority is not winning but staying healthy and learning about your roster.
This, of course, leads coaches to handle the games differently based on the needs of their team heading into the season. For the Jets, this year centers around new QB Aaron Rodgers in a big way, and coach Robert Saleh has stated that if the veteran signal-caller does see preseason action, it’ll be in a later week.
Conversely, the Panthers have a rookie QB set to start. While it is important to keep Young safe, getting the young quarterback up to speed and getting him some reps is also vital.
New coach Frank Reich has also been known to give his starters a decent amount of playing time in the preseason, so having Young on the field for a quarter or more is possible.
Regardless, the Panthers QB situation beyond Young is strong for the preseason, with Andy Dalton coming off of a quietly strong season in New Orleans and Matt Corral highly motivated after missing his entire rookie year with an injury.
Jets vs Panthers Best Bets & Props
Panthers -3.5 (-110)
FanDuel Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
My NFL bet of the day for this edition of the preseason is the Panthers against the spread. As a young team, Carolina will be looking to get reps for many of their key players, most notably Young.
It will be vital for the incoming rookies and fringe players to build confidence coming into a season that could be filled with a lot of losing, so Reich has good reason to give them all some good run during the preseason.
Lastly, the Hard Knocks team is only 21-31 ATS since the show came back in 2007, so it’s a good spot to fade the Jets, who are on this year’s edition of the HBO docuseries.
Under 37.5 (-110)
FanDuel Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
While Young has a chance to do some special things and lead the Panthers to a win in his preseason debut, this is still his first pro action, and I’d be fairly surprised to see his offense light up the scoreboard. On the Jets side, Zach Wilson was pretty strong in the Hall of Fame game against the Browns, but Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler both struggled. There’s reason to believe that Carolina’s front seven could create even more problems for the QBs than Cleveland’s, as their solid depth means that even with the second and third string in the game, there will be competent players on the field.
Jets Team Points Under 16.5 (-120)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
This is a slightly different way to approach the above wager, especially if you have a lot of belief in Young and the Panthers. It goes almost without saying that Rodgers won’t see the field, and most of the Jets’ QB room is far from outstanding, even by preseason standards. This team only put up 16 against the Browns in the Hall of Fame Game, and it’s hard to imagine them doing much more against a Carolina defense full of youngsters with a lot to prove.
Jets vs Panthers Same Game Parlay
No Same Game Parlays are available for this game, but this section will be updated if they become available.
