The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers will meet in Week 1 of the NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Both of these teams had losing records and finished in third place in their divisions last season. They will look to spark a turnaround this year with a strong performance in this season-opening matchup. Before the fun begins from Duval County, continue reading to get my breakdown of this game and to get my Panthers vs Jaguars prediction.
Our Panthers vs Jaguars Pick
- Pick: Panthers +3.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Date & Time: Sunday, September 7, 2025, 1:00 PM ET
- Venue: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
- Broadcast: FOX
Panthers vs Jaguars Odds
| Jaguars | Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | -3.5 | +3.5 |
| Moneyline | -180 | +150 |
| Total | 46.5 | |
Key Storylines
- Carolina showed growth late last season with Bryce Young playing better and the coaching staff doubling down on continuity at key positions. This game starts a huge season for Young’s development and his career overall.
- Carolina had the worst point differential in the NFL last season and will try to recapture some of their solid play late in the season.
- At some point, Trevor Lawrence needs to prove that he can be a high-level starting quarterback in the NFL. Injuries and inconsistent play have led to the Jags struggling in recent years and they will try to get off to a good start with Lawrence under center here.
Quarterback Play
Trevor Lawrence remains the anchor of Jacksonville’s offense with this year being a defining moment in his career. Lawrence played in just 10 games last season and had only 11 touchdown passes. He simply needs to be better if the Jaguars are going to make any moves up the totem pole in the AFC South.
Bryce Young has improved as he moved into Year 3 and the Panthers are counting on him to continue moving in the right direction. Young had seven touchdown passes and no interceptions over the final three games of the season for Carolina. Avoiding turnovers in a similar fashion this year would be huge for both him and his team.
Best Player Props
| Prop | Pick |
|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence Passing Yards | Under 240.5 |
| Bryce Young Passing Yards | Over 216.5 |
| Travis Etienne Anytime TD | +165 |
| Chuba Hubbard Anytime TD | -105 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- These teams have played just once since 2020. Jacksonville won that game 26-0 back in 2023.
- Jacksonville went 9-7-1 against the spread last season.
- Carolina was 8-9 against the spread in the 2024 season.
Panthers vs Jaguars Model Projection
- Score Projection: Jacksonville 24 – Carolina 21
- Win Probability: Jacksonville 59%, Carolina 41%
Final Thoughts
I think that the starting quarterbacks in this game are moving in opposite directions. Bryce Young has shown signs of improvement going into this year and Trevor Lawrence appears to be trending in the wrong direction. I’ll take the points with the Panthers in this game but I don’t know that I’d trust either of these teams early in the 2025 season.
