Carolina Panthers at Commanders early odds and prediction for Week 7
By Dean Jones
After so much hope that things could finally start moving forward for the Carolina Panthers throughout another eventful offseason, everything reverted to type quickly. Five losses in six regular-season games will do that, so head coach Dave Canales has a significant amount of hard work ahead in pursuit of turning the tide.
The Panthers were competitive for the most part during their defeat to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. Had it not been for some costly individual errors and a porous defense, things might have been different. That wasn't the case, which is quickly becoming the story of another lost campaign.
Things don't get any easier for the Panthers this weekend. Canales takes his squad to the Washington Commanders, who are once again proving it doesn't take seven years to fix the foundation and build a culture for sustained success if you hire the right people.
The Commanders are riding on the crest of a wave right now. They were beaten last time around at the Baltimore Ravens, but this new-look squad put up a fight and were resilient right until the end. Washington also has a genuine franchise quarterback in No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels, who looks like a superstar capable of leading this storied organization back to prominence.
Can the Panthers get their season on track by dethroning the league's early surprise package? Or will Daniels once again shine bright en route to another victory for Washington?
Carolina Panthers at Commanders odds for Week 7
According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, the Panthers are 7.5-point underdogs at the Commanders in Week 7. This is available at -110 depending on which side of the line takes your fancy (bet $110 to win $100).
Anyone daring enough to wager Carolina on the money line can get odds of +295 currently (bet $100 to win $295). Washington is favored to get another notable success to continue Dan Quinn's exceptional start to life as head coach at -370 (bet $370 to win $100).
FanDuel Sportsbook is anticipating plenty of points at Northwest Stadium with the over/under set at 51.5 points for the clash. This is also available at -110 in both directions.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Carolina Panthers at Commanders prediction for Week 7
The Panthers should take this game for what it is. Their defense is going to give up significant yards and points to the Commanders with Daniels under center. They're one of the league's best offenses under his guidance and have gone toe-to-toe against some of the NFL's heavyweights with great success. However, there's a chance for Carolina to exploit some defensive deficiencies along the way.
Washington doesn't boast the best defense. They've got some outstanding playmakers - including former Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu - but their secondary can be exposed. The Commanders will also be without stud defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and potentially edge rusher Dorance Armstrong Jr. to further raise encouragement.
Much will depend if running back Brian Robinson Jr. is going to suit up for Washington. Kliff Kingsbury has Daniels, Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols in the backfield, but they are a different beast entirely when the former Alabama star is shouldering a hefty burden. That's going to be a problem for the Panthers, who are giving up 153.5 yards per game on the ground and were torched by the Falcons last time around.
- Prediction: Panthers loss
This is all about momentum. The Commanders have far more going for them than the Panthers right now. Their fanbase is reignited and looking at how things stand across the NFC East, they've got a realistic chance of winning the division if the same trend continues.
That makes it difficult to predict anything other than the Panthers falling to a sixth defeat in seven contests.