Will the Panthers beat the Broncos? Here are predictions from national NFL experts

The Carolina Panthers are no longer in contention for a playoff spot.

But earlier this week, Panthers coach Matt Rhule made it clear that there would be no resting starters or tanking for a higher draft pick.

“There’s no agenda other than winning,” Rhule said he told his players.

The Panthers (4-8) hope to beat the Broncos (4-8), who, like the Panthers, have struggled for much of this season.

The Panthers had a scare Monday when they placed five starters on the COVID/reserve list. Three of those players cleared protocols and returned Friday.

But two — DJ Moore and Zach Kerr — remain on the COVID/reserve list as of Friday and likely won’t play against the Broncos.

Christian McCaffrey, who re-aggravated a new thigh injury he suffered during the bye week, is doubtful for Sunday’s game that kicks off at Bank of America Stadium at 1 p.m. on CBS.

The Panthers opened a 4-point favorite, with the betting line most recently down to 3.5 points in favor of Carolina.

We checked around the country to see what the NFL experts were thinking about how this game might go.

Panthers-Broncos predictions

▪ Five out of nine experts on ESPN’s NFL prediction crew are picking the Broncos to win.

▪ CBS’s Will Brinson likes the Broncos to win as well. “The Panthers have played great all season, but if they’re a four-point fave here it’s not right. The Broncos are a BAD matchup for them.”

▪ Sporting News’ Will Bender is picking the Panthers to win 23-20. “The Broncos have a –10 turnover ratio in their last four games, and Carolina takes advantage of that trend,” he wrote.

▪ NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal has the Broncos winning 24-23. “I could flip this pick before Sunday if enough Panthers return because they’ve been the better 4-8 squad,” he wrote Thursday, referencing the players who were placed on the COVID list earlier this week.

▪ The MMQB staff at Sports Illustrated were split on their picks. Three experts picked the Panthers, and three picked the Broncos.

▪ At Pro Football Talk, both Michael David Smith and Mike Florio had the Panthers winning. Florio made his pick assuming McCaffrey was returning.

▪ And at the Charlotte Observer, columnist Scott Fowler is picking the Panthers to win 23-17. Reporter Alaina Getzenberg is picking the Broncos to win 27-24, and I am picking the Panthers to win 30-20.

This story was originally published December 12, 2020 at 7:15 AM with the headline "Will the Panthers beat the Broncos? Here are predictions from national NFL experts."

Jonathan M. Alexander

The Charlotte Observer

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Jonathan M. Alexander is a native of Charlotte. He began covering the Carolina Panthers for the Observer in July 2020 after working at the N&O for seven years, where he covered a variety of beats, including UNC basketball and football, Duke basketball, recruiting, K-12 schools, public safety and town government. Support my work with a digital subscription