Who will win Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks game? What the NFL experts say
The Carolina Panthers will be back on the road in Week 3 as they look to stop the bleeding of a listless 0-2 start on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff time is 4:05 p.m. on CBS.
Following a pair of lukewarm performances by the offense, head coach Frank Reich and his crew will look to upset Seattle by improving their passing attack with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton playing in place of rookie Bryce Young (ankle). Similarly, the defense — without longtime leader Shaq Thompson — will try to neutralize Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf.
While the Panthers were able to upset the Seahawks on the road last season, Carolina has completely retooled its coaching staff and roster since that 30-24 win in December.
The Panthers enter this Week 3 matchup as 5.5-point underdogs, according to FanDuel. The over/under for this matchup is 42, which is significantly less than last year’s joint output of 54 points.
Charlotte Observer predictions for Panthers-Seahawks game
Keeping accountable, Scott Fowler is 2-0 and Mike Kaye is 1-1 in predictions after Week 2. Alex Zietlow and Langston Wertz Jr. are both 0-2.
Mike Kaye: Seahawks 30, Panthers 24. Dalton should bring a sense of veteran calm to the offense. With the Seahawks struggling mightily against the pass over the past two weeks, Dalton should have opportunities for big plays through the air. If wideouts can finally find some separation, the Panthers’ offense should be able to make some progress after two lackluster performances. Still, the Seahawks are the better team overall, and Geno Smith should one-up Dalton in this battle.
Alex Zietlow: Seahawks 31, Panthers 20. The Panthers are reeling on offense and now are down two defensive stars and won’t have Bryce Young and.... the list could go on. Scoring 20 in what will be a hostile Seahawks environment feels like optimistic thinking.
Scott Fowler: Seahawks 22, Panthers 19. I actually think Dalton is going to do OK at quarterback. And I don’t think this Seattle team is that great — there are a lot of Seahawks pieces out there from the team that Carolina beat 30-24 in December, when the Panthers rushed for an astounding 223 yards. But this Panthers team just doesn’t feel ready to win yet.
Langston Wertz Jr.: Seahawks 27, Panthers 17. Bryce Young isn’t going to play. Shaq Thompson won’t play, and the Panthers offensive line is still riddled with injury problems. On paper, this doesn’t look like an ideal time to go play the Seahawks in one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. It may be time to go looking at the Panthers’ schedule to find that first win. Unfortunately, it may not come until after the bye week.
What ESPN, CBS Sports, more experts are saying
CBS Sports: Pete Prisco is picking against the Panthers with a double-digit loss. He expects Seattle’s offense to put up points.
NFL.com: The league’s website features a clean sweep for the Seahawks in its weekly experts prediction poll. All five experts chose Seattle.
ESPN: All nine NFL experts are picking the Seahawks for ESPN. It’s a clean sweep with little to no explanation needed.
Bleacher Report: Six out of seven panelists for BR are siding with the Seahawks. Brad Gagnon is the lone panelist to pick the Panthers.
