Jets vs. Panthers NFL Preseason Week 1 Picks, Predictions, Best Bets

Jets vs Panthers - The Spread

Robert Saleh has a 5-0-1 record among his six preseason games — the Hall of Fame game technically doesn’t count as a preseason fixture. Frank Reich himself boasts an 8-6 record, going 2-3 in Week 1 games. All of those games came from his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, however, making Carolina a new starting point.

The Panthers boast three solid quarterbacks who should play steady minutes in the game. The question, however, is whether Jake Luton can hold off Tim Boyle in the inverse of what happened to the Jets last week as Streveler gifted the game away. There’s an even bigger question of whether the rest of Carolina’s roster can hold up.

Getting the Jets for more than a field goal is a nice line, even after last week’s debacle. It’s still going to be a close one, but the Panthers’ quarterback room reeks of inexperience. Young is a rookie, Corral played only a pair of preseason games last year and Luton has played in just four preseason games in his career. All are learning a new offensive scheme.

Sure, Dalton has plenty of experience. But for that very reason, you shouldn’t expect to see a lot of him out there.

Comparatively, Wilson and Boyle have played in 18 preseason games combined and will evenly split the game. The Jets boast the deeper defense and while the Panthers exploited New York’s weak offensive line this week in practice, it should be a tougher test this time around.

• Our pick: Saleh has shown that he cares about preseason results. That’ll become clearer when the Jets cover +3.5.

Jets vs Panthers - The Over/Under

The line sits at 37 on most books, although you can get down to 36.5 on BetRivers and up to 37.5 on BetMGM. The over, especially if you get a free half-point signed up with BetRivers, is the pick here.

Saleh’s Jets have averaged just over 24 points per game in the preseason and muddled their way to 16 points last week after a million second-half miscues by a quarterback who is no longer on the roster.

The Panthers can get down the field thanks to its quarterback room, and its wide receivers won’t look as bad in the preseason as they may in the regular season. Second-round pick Jonathan Mingo, dynamic talent Laviska Shenault, and 2021 second-round pick Terrace Marshall should see enough snaps to make an impact.