Chargers vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 2 (Can the Panthers Cover at Home?)

Do the Panthers have a chance to hang around at home in Week 2?

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The 2024 season got off to an awful start for the Carolina Panthers, who were blown out by the New Orleans Saints in Week 1.

Now, Carolina will look to rebound at home as a major underdog against the 1-0 Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers took down the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 in a low-scoring affair, leading to quite a low total for the odds in this matchup.

Using the latest odds, can we predict the final score in this matchup? Even if the final score isn’t right, this could help bettors choose which side they plan to wager on in Week 2. 

Chargers vs. Panthers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Chargers -6.5 (-108)
• Panthers +6.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Chargers: -270
• Panthers: +220

Total

• 38.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Oddsmakers aren’t expecting much offense in this game, as neither team really was great on that side of the ball in Week 1. 

The Chargers did run the ball well against the Las Vegas Raiders, but do they deserve to be favored by nearly a touchdown? 

Chargers vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction

SI Betting’s NFL insider Iain MacMillan explained in his Road to 272 (where he bets on every NFL game) why bettors should consider backing the Panthers in their home opener: 

Unless your opinion about the Panthers drastically changed from last week to this week, you should love the Panthers getting 6.5 points at home this week. They went from four-point underdogs on the road at New Orleans to 6.5 point underdogs at home to the Chargers. That's a significant swing in point spread despite the Chargers and Saints having comparable rosters in terms of talent.

There's no denying the Panthers Week 1 performance was ugly and they're more than likely going to be a basement dweller this season, but this point spread is a bit of an overreaction to a one-game sample size.

The Chargers got the job done against the Raiders, but they had a Net Yards per Play of just +0.9 on their home field. I still evaluate them as a solid team, but not good enough to be an almost-touchdown-favorite on the road against any team in the NFL.

The Panthers struggled mightily in Week 1, but last season they went 3-4-1 against the spread as a home underdog.

That’s not great, but I don’t want to pencil in the Panthers for the No. 1 pick in the draft next offseason just yet. 

I’ll take the points in what should be a low-scoring affair. 

Final Score Prediction: Chargers 20, Panthers 16

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