The New York Jets have a new coaching staff and the Carolina Panthers welcome back Christian McCaffrey, but there’s only one storyline in town for this game.
Sam Darnold, the former Jet who was picked third overall in 2018, will make his first start under center for the Panthers after being jettisoned by New York this summer. NFL betting lines have the Jets as 4-point underdogs with the sportsbooks expecting Sam Darnold to get revenge on his former team.
Find out if he will in our Week 1 Jets vs. Panthers picks and predictions.
Jets vs Panthers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Nothing has changed when it comes to the spread here, with the Panthers remaining 4-point favorites since opening at that spread. The O/U has changed, though, with the total moving up a point after opening with an Over/Under of 43. Be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets, and also view the full line movement for this game.
Jets vs Panthers picks
Picks made on 9/9/2021 at 11:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Jets vs Panthers game info
• Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
• Date: Sunday, September 12, 2021
• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Jets at Panthers betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key injuries
Jets: Jamison Crowder WR (Out), Keelan Cole WR (Out), Carl Lawson DE (Out).
Panthers: AJ Bouye CB (Suspended).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Panthers are 0-5 ATS in their past 5 games as a home favorite. Find more NFL betting trends for Jets vs. Panthers.
Jets vs Panthers predictions
ATS Jets +4 (-110)
Yes, you read that correctly — I am, for my sins, backing the Jets to cover. We know all about the Jets and their years of misery by now. This franchise is 19-39-4 ATS in its last 62 games as a road ‘dog and 1-8 ATS in its past nine games in September, but there’s something in the air in New York.
Am I a true believer in the Jets? Not entirely, but I believe that they’ll have a better year than their city rivals. The arrival of Robert Saleh will change this team for the better. If you’ve watched the 49ers over the past few years you’ll know how successful his defenses can be. I think it’s a lot easier to change the defensive culture of a team than it is on offense, and I’m expecting to see a huge improvement from the Jets.
McCaffrey is back in action and we’re all familiar with his unique skill set and the devastating force that he can be. That said, I’m not entirely sold on the Panthers here, as there are still question marks surrounding Darnold — is he even much better than last year’s QB Teddy Bridgewater? Also, will DJ Moore finally explode this season?
Darnold had a tough time in New York and while some issues were certainly of his own making, there were wider problems at play and the Jets never put him in a position to succeed. The Jets will be hoping that Zach Wilson, another very promising QB with high draft capital, won’t go the same way.
He won’t, though. Wilson was lauded by Chris Sims throughout last year and into the draft process and now the great Tony Romo has joined the bandwagon. Romo recently claimed, “Wilson is going to be in the discussion as one of the top three to five quarterbacks very quickly.” You don’t need to watch Wilson for long to realize that he has it all — he’s calm, has great awareness, and has a rocket arm.
He’s going to be a serious threat and, alongside fellow rookie receiver Elijah Moore, the Jets could be exciting very soon. Give me this talented young QB, an incredible defensive-minded coach, and the 4 points, please.
Under 44 (-110)
We’ve talked about the great defensive mind of Saleh, which should already give you an indication of my thoughts on the Over/Under. But the recent trends also back up my thinking of taking the Under.
The Under is 5-2 across the Jets' last seven games and 9-4 in their last 13 contests as an underdog. We see a similar pattern on the other side, as the Under has gone 4-1 in the Panthers' last five games on grass, and 5-2 in their last seven home games.
Neither team has an elite defense but it’s clearly something that Saleh wants to build in New York. The Panthers were more mid-tier last season, ranking 18th for total yards conceded per game and net passing yards. It was only third-down efficiency in which they really struggled, finishing 31st in the league. Everything is pointing to the Under here.
Terrace Marshall to score a touchdown (+250)
I really wanted to pick Elijah Moore here because I truly believe that he could be a superstar in this league. However, when I went to check the odds I was staggered to see him substantially shorter than Terrace Marshall, a fellow rookie on the Panthers' roster.
Marshall was picked by Carolina in the second round and the former LSU man has a number of attributes that I believe will help him become a star in the NFL. The former five-star recruit has electric, and I mean electric, pace. He scored 23 touchdowns across the past two seasons in just 19 games and his speed could cause real issues for Saleh’s team.
With the Jets focused on McCaffrey and the Panthers' other receiving options, including Moore and Robby Anderson, it gives Marshall an opportunity to see more favorable coverage. And with his talents, he could easily break free for a long touchdown.
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