Panthers vs. Raiders Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 3 (Lots of Line Movement)

Iain MacMillan | Sep 20, 2024

Aug 24, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) enters the field before a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The first twist of the 2024 NFL season happened this week when just two games into the year, the Carolina Panthers decided to bench their No. 1 overall pick from 2023, Bryce Young, in favor of Andy Dalton. There's no question that Young was struggling to adjust to the NFL, but nobody thought they'd opt to put in Dalton this early in the season.

Regardless of how you feel about it, the Red Rifle will take the opening snap for the Panthers Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, desperate to get their first win of the season.

Meanwhile, the Raiders disappointed in Week 1, losing to the Chargers, but then bounced back in a big way in Week 2, pulling off the biggest upset of the season thus far by beating the Ravens in Baltimore. The Raiders will now get to play on their home field for the first time in 2024 with a chance to improve to 2-1 on the year.

Let's take a look at the latest odds for the game and then I'll attempt to predict the exact final score.

Panthers vs. Raiders Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Panthers +6.5 (-110)
• Raiders -6.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Panthers +225
• Raiders -275

Total

• OVER 39.5 (-115)
• UNDER 39.5 (-105)

Watching the odds in this game fluctuate throughout the week has been fascinating. The Raiders were originally set as 7-point favorites but when news broke that Dalton would be starting, money came in on the Panthers and the line shifted all the way down to Raiders -5 for a time. Since then, it has gone back up to Raiders -6.5, which is where it stands heading into the weekend.

The total also saw some significant movement. It started at 37.5 when Young was the assumed starter then ballooned as high as 41.5 after the breaking news, but has since settled back down to 39.5.

Panthers vs. Raiders Final Score Prediction

Despite all the movement in the odds this week, I'm still confident the Raiders will win and cover in this interconference matchup:

The Raiders were set as 7-point favorites in this game but when it was announced that former No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, would be benched in favor of Andy Dalton, the line dropped two points to Raiders -5. Is Young that bad of a quarterback that Dalton starting is worth two points? I don't think so.

Young didn't do himself any favors, but the Panthers' roster leaves a lot to be desired and their defense ranks 25th in the NFL in opponent yards per play at 5.7. I'm not sure Andy Dalton, who has gone 6-9 in his last 15 starts while playing for much better teams, is the answer.

I'll lay the points with the Raiders, who will be playing at home for the first time this season.

When it comes to the total, I'm going to take advantage of it increasing two points since the opening number and take the UNDER. I have confidence in the Raiders' defense and I'm of the belief their pass rush is a top 10 unit in the NFL.

I don't expect the Panthers to rely on Dalton to sling the rock often in this game. A conservative, "run-first" approach could be in the books for both teams. For that reason, I'll back the UNDER.

Final Score Prediction: Raiders 20, Panthers 13

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