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NFL Week 8 Expert Picks Paint Clear Picture of Panthers' Chances vs. Packers

What are the experts saying?

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs against Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Carolina Panthers are understandable underdogs on the road against the Green Bay Packers. They're coming off an abysmal loss. By most metrics, the 4-3 Packers are a better team than the 3-3 Panthers.

That doesn't always matter, but it seems to this week. At the time of writing, no one is picking the Panthers to win this contest on Thursday night.

Week 8 NFL picks for Panthers and Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

CBS Sports Pete Prisco picked the Panthers to lose every week until last week, and he's not making the same mistake again. He picked the Packers to snag a 31-24 win at home. His CBS colleague John Breech thinks it will be 30-23 Packers.

"These two are both coming off losses. The Carolina loss featured the Bucs running over them for 258 rushing yards. It's been a problem all year. But the Packers don't run it very well, so something has to give. Carolina gave Jordan Love fits last year, but that will change here. Carolina gives up 27.7 points per game. Love lights them up, and Josh Jacobs gets the run game going," Prisco wrote.

Arizona Republic's Jeremy Cluff picked the Panthers to lose 27-23. "Bryce Young and the Panthers are 3-3 and lead the NFC South. The Packers are 4-3 and are last in the NFC North. Green Bay's defense will make some key stops against Carolina and Josh Jacobs will make a big impact to give the win to the last-place team," he wrote.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) hauls in a reception against Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

SI's Ian MacMillan believes the Packers will cover the 3.5-point spread. "I'm still out on this Panthers team, as they seem like a significant regression candidate after a strong start to the season. Bryce Young, up until last week, had been playing leaps and bounds better than he had the previous three seasons, and I'm of the belief that it's more of a sign of an abnormally strong start against some bad defenses as opposed to a quarterback who improved by tenfold in a single offseason," he wrote.

Sporting News' Bill Bender is taking the Packers, 27-22. "The Panthers have been wildly unpredictable this season, and it hinges on whether Bryce Young can bounce back from a bad outing against the Buccaneers. Green Bay has the worst rushing offense in the NFL (59.9 ypg). The Panthers have the worst rushing defense (153.3 ypg). Will Josh Jacobs get that running game on track?" he wrote.

This means the Panthers are the ultimate underdogs here. Not only are they not favored, but no one's picking them to win. It's rare, but that does happen, even for a team that is probably solid like the Panthers.

That could be where the Panthers operate best, as they usually win when they're not supposed to or are counted out. But after what we saw last week, it's not hard to see why they are universally being picked against.

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