The Green Bay Packers, currently last in the NFC North at 4-3, are set to host the Carolina Panthers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 8. Green Bay enters the game as a 3.5-point favorite at Lambeau Field against the 3-3 Panthers, who lead the NFC South.
The Packers' three-game winning streak was halted last week by the Detroit Lions. Despite the loss, Green Bay has managed to remain competitive against various opponents.
The Carolina Panthers have presented a puzzling season, averaging 26.5 points per game but struggling with a porous run defense and pass protection for quarterback Bryce Young. In their recent 43-13 defeat to the Buccaneers, Young was sacked five times and pressured on over 51 percent of his dropbacks. He has faced pressure on a league-high 44.3 percent of his dropbacks this season when facing four or fewer rushers. The Panthers' offensive line also suffered a blow with the season-ending injury to starting right tackle Taylor Moton.
Green Bay's defense has been effective at generating pressure without blitzing, securing seven of their league-leading nine interceptions this way, which could help disrupt Young's offense without compromising coverage against Carolina's pass-heavy attack. Young's passing performance has also shown inconsistency, completing less than 55 percent of his passes in three of his last four starts.
On the ground, the Packers' rushing attack has been notably weak, ranking last in the league with an average of 2.9 yards per carry. However, star running back Josh Jacobs made his season debut last week, gaining 93 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown despite the team's overall rushing struggles. He now faces a Panthers run defense that has allowed a league-high 5.2 yards per carry, including 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns to the Buccaneers in their last game.
Last season, the Panthers defeated the Packers 16-13 as 13.5-point underdogs. However, Green Bay's defense, which ranks second in EPA per play over the past four weeks, is expected to prevent a repeat of that outcome at home. The recommended play is Packers -3.5 with odds of -105.
