New York Jets vs Carolina Panthers Predictions, Picks, Odds, and Betting Preview | NFL Week 1 – September 12, 2021

Congratulations to the NFL for scheduling this game right out of the gate of the 2021 regular season. We are all going to see Sam Darnold face his old team, with his Carolina Panthers going up against the visiting New York Jets. This should be fun. Check out our preview of this game below.

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Betting Preview for the New York Jets vs Carolina Panthers Regular Season Week 1 Game on September 12, 2021

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

When: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 1:00 PM ET

Line: New York Jets (+5.5) vs Carolina Panthers (-5.5) – view all 2021 NFL lines

TV Broadcast: CBS

Betting on the New York Jets (+5.5)

Regular Season Record: 0-0

The Jets have a shiny new quarterback, on which they will pin their hopes of a turnaround, once again. The team used a high draft pick to select former BYU Cougars star Zach Wilson, and based on what the rookie had shown in training camps and in the preseason, there seems to be a real reason to believe that he’s the one the Jets have been looking for. Still, there’s still so much to learn for Wilson, and the Jets might try to run the ball more in Week 1. That’s not going to be such a bad idea, though. After all, the Panthers are coming off a season in which their defense had plenty of trouble stopping the run. In fact, Carolina was 28th in the league in 2020 with 4.7 yards allowed per carry. The defense will be a focus for the Jets, especially since they made a head coaching change from Adam Gase to Robert Saleh, who was formerly the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets are 2-2 against the spread in their last four road games.

Betting on the Carolina Panthers (-5.5)

Regular Season Record: 0-0

If the Jets want to turn on the boosters and run, the Panthers should, too. For one, they’ve got one of the best offensive weapons in football today out there in their backfield. That’s running back Christian McCaffrey, who is returning to action after playing in just three games in 2020 due to injuries. McCaffrey is healthy and ready to dominate again, but don’t forget about the Panthers new quarterback in Sam Darnold. If you love revenge stories, you will have to watch Darold in this game. He won’t say it, but he definitely wants to bury the Jets here, the team that gave up on him. It’s possible that Darnold has yet to reach his full potential, and being in Carolina could get him closer to that, especially now that he’s got better talent around him. The Panthers used several picks in the 2021 NFL Draft to help address their issues on defense, and that could just be enough for them to slow down the Jets’ offense that’s also still questionable.

The under is 5-2 in the Panthers’ last seven home games.

Writer’s Prediction

The Panthers win, 24-20.

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