Panthers vs Patriots Prediction, Pick, NFL Preseason Odds (August 8)

The NFL is back, and who cares if it's just the preseason?

This Thursday night, we're being served up a game between two of last year's biggest disappointments: the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The Panthers went 2-15 with the Patriots only marginally better at 4-13, so both teams will be expecting an improvement this season and that starts on Thursday.

My Panthers vs Patriots prediction and preview are below.

Sam Farley's Panthers vs Patriots Prediction Tonight

Canales

Surely things can't be any worse for the Panthers this season? With new head coach Dave Canales in town and Bryce Young coming into his second season with the team, Carolina is arguably one of the most interesting stories in the league this season.

However, Young will not take part in this preseason opener. That means we'll see veteran Andy Dalton, Jake Luton and Jack Plummer, who arrived as an undrafted free agent from Louisville this year.

We know Dalton is a capable game manager and should he get significant time on the field, but he's out tonight due to a nagging injury. Plummer, an undrafted rookie, will start and see most of the snaps tonight, while Luton will come in relief later in the game.

Patriots Have Big QB Questions To Answer

There's also a new era in New England with Jerod Mayo replacing Bill Belichick. Mayo has a big question ahead of him and it could impact who wins this game. That question is who'll win the quarterback battle between Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye?

We know about Brissett. He's always been a very capable backup who could easily be a good, not great, starter in the league. He's competing with Maye, who was picked third overall in this year's draft. However, there are still plenty of doubters who think Maye isn't ready for the NFL, but this is a great audition for him.

The Patriots also have Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton III, another rookie, should they need more depth in at the quarterback position.

Panthers +6.5

Patriots -6.5

Our Expert's Panthers vs Patriots Prediction Against the Spread

With both teams being led by first-time head coaches, there's nothing we can gain from past preseason records. With that in mind, we have to take the Patriots to cover. They have home-field advantage, however slight that may be in the preseason, and have more to play for at the quarterback position.

The Panthers won't be playing Young and we likely won't see too much of Dalton as the staff knows what they have with the veteran. Meanwhile, the Patriots are locked into a quarterback battle. Mayo has stated that it'll be Brissett starting under center on Thursday, meaning the pressure will be on Maye to showcase his talent when he gets onto the field.

With the combination of Brissett's ability and Maye's drive to get off to a positive start, albeit in the preseason, we should see the Patriots come out on top.

Pick: Patriots -6.5

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