Carolina Panthers vs Cleveland Browns Preseason Odds, Preview, and Prediction
The Carolina Panthers are intent upon developing Bryce Young, who offered some signs in the second half of the 2024 season that he was ready to become a viable NFL quarterback.
But we’re not sure much of that development is going to take place on the field on Friday night at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 PM ET start).
The opposition is the Cleveland Browns, who have the QB situation that is going to get more attention. This camp is, in fact, overrun with quarterbacks, but one rookie will have to show up in a big way, because there is no guarantee that anyone is going to have a roster spot.
NFL Preseason Betting Odds on Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers
At BetOnline, Carolina is a solid favorite:
- Carolina Panthers -4.5
- Cleveland Browns +4.5
- Over 32.5 Points -118
- Under 32.5 Points -102
Remember that at BetOnline, you can engage in live betting even after the game has kicked off!
Who will win the crowded battle to be the Browns’ quarterback?
There are six quarterbacks now associated with the Browns. No one knows what will happen with DeShaun Watson, who is recovering from an Achilles tear. Joe Flacco is, as we speak, ticketed as the starter. Kenny Pickett is a young vet, but at the moment he is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted in the third round, is also dealing with hamstring issues.
If you’re counting, that’s four. Don’t expect the 40-year-old Flacco to see action. Tyler Huntley, a journeyman who somehow snuck into the Pro Bowl Games a few years ago, was just signed.
And that leaves the Browns with Shedeur Sanders, who took one of the more dramatic slides (relative to his previous projection) in the history of the NFL Draft.
If he is interested in demonstrating why he should have been taken in the first round, this is where he can do it. We expect Huntley to be given some snaps, just to get him acclimated. But it is more or less Sanders’ show.
And remember when he was talking about changing the “culture” of a team before the draft? Now he’s just worried about making the team.
“You know, we definitely taking things up a notch, I would say, with everything,” he was telling a reporter. “So, every rep, anytime I step on the field, I take it like it could be my last. Because you don’t know, it’s players that we was just practicing with last week, that’s not here no more.”
Panthers want to hit the ground running
Carolina’s head coach, Dave Canales, is looking for some sharpness in his team’s play. It appears that Bryce Young will play. And while he was benched at some point last season, all indications are that he is going to have an opportunity to take the ball and run with it.
Andy Dalton just signed a two-year extension, so the Panthers like what they have seen from him in a backup role. He’s a tutor; a mentor. And he knows the offense.
As far as quarterbacks go, the Panthers will also be giving some time to Jack Plummer, a second-year man out of Louisville who played himself onto the squad with a strong 2024 preseason. With only three QB’s on the roster, Plummer has a lock on the #3 spot…. for now.
One of the wide receivers Sanders was throwing to last year at Colorado is wearing a Carolina uniform now. Jimmy Horn, who was drafted in the sixth round, has reportedly been very impressive.
Prediction – Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers
There has been some coverage of the fact that Sanders has not practiced with the first-teamers in Cleveland. So that maybe puts him behind the eight-ball. If he struggles, it’s going to be a long evening. Also, Huntley will have been in camp for only a few days, so he’ll have to deal with a scaled-down playbook at best.
Meanwhile, Dave Canales has mentioned that he wants his starters to play in this game. We might expect a quarterback rotation with Young, Dalton and Jack Plummer, who completed 43 of 68 passes last year without an interception in the 2024 preseason.
Yes, Carolina is laying a premium. But there are some real edges for them, including the fact that they are deeper and have more direction for purposes of this particular week.
So we’re going to go ahead and lay the points with the Panthers.
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