4 bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers at Bengals in Week 9

Carolina Panthers beat the Bengals

According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Carolina Panthers are 7.0-point underdogs at the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. However, this is not the same team we saw constantly underachieve under Matt Rhule during his disastrous tenure.

Interim head coach Steve Wilks is installing a level of professionalism into the organization that wasn’t there previously. Something in keeping with his desire to return the franchise to an ethos that made them so successful during the 2010s.

A more collective approach with power distributed evenly is also serving Carolina well in the immediate aftermath of Rhule’s long-awaited departure. The results might not be improving, to a certain extent, but one cannot look at the way things are unfolding and not think performances haven’t increased significantly since Wilks took over.

Cincinnati would be wise not to take the Panthers lightly by any stretch of the imagination. The Bengals have the firepower and a borderline elite quarterback in Joe Burrow, but judging by their outing against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, Carolina has nothing to fear.

It’ll take a monumental effort and there is absolutely no room for passengers. However, if the Panthers continue to benefit from Wilks’ improved game planning and leadership, then a substantial upset over the Bengals cannot be dismissed entirely.