Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars prediction and picks, Sunday, September 7
The 2025 NFL season is finally underway with Jacksonville beginning its campaign by hosting Carolina. For great side and total picks on this game, read on for our Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars prediction and picks. Kick-off is scheduled for 1pm ET at the Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium home.
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Panthers look to Young for big season
The Carolina Panthers go into the 2025 season with holding out hopes of better fortunes in Charlotte after going 5-12 last year and missing out on the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season. Despite going 0-3 in preseason, there are grounds for optimism for Carolina, largely based on Bryce Young.
The young quarterback broke out in the second half of 2024, throwing 15 TDs with only six INTs in his last 10 games while averaging more than 200 yards per game. Young helped Carolina go 4-5 in their last nine games of the year, having opened with a disastrous 1-7 run that sank their postseason chances from the very start. The Panthers will know, nevertheless, that they will have to be sharper without the ball: their mark of 31.4 points allowed per game was the worst in the NFL last year. The return of DT Derrick Brown, who missed almost all of 2024 through injury, and a flurry of free agency acquisitions on defense should help in that regard.
Thursday's Panthers injury report had just two players missing practice. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from appendix surgery carried out last week and cornerback Damarri Mathis had a knee issue. Both players are questionable for the season opener.
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New era begins for Jaguars
There is a new face on the sidelines for Jacksonville. Former Rams and Buccaneers OC Liam Coen has been given his third head coaching job at the age of 39 and will be keen to make a big impression in this opener in front of the Jaguars fans on Sunday. He replaces Doug Pederson, who was fired after taking the Jaguars to a 4-13 record in 2024 and missing the playoffs. On Coen’s watch last year, the Bucs ranked third in total yardage in pro football with 393.2 yds/G and topped the NFL by converting 51.11% of plays on third down.
Another exciting new face in Florida is Travis Hunter, the two-way ace and No. 2 Draft pick out of Colorado who won the 2024 Heisman Trophy. The Jaguars’ first depth chart of the season lists Hunter as a starting wide receiver and second-string cornerback, raising hopes he will see minutes on both sides of the ball. Jacksonville’s immediate priority would be to add a new target for QB Trevor Lawrence and improve the team’s effectiveness through the air. The Jaguars completed 62.82% of passes last year and averaged 204.5 passing yards per game, ranking 25th and 24th, respectively on those metrics in the NFL.
Thursday's practice saw cornerback Montaric Brown (ankle) and offensive lineman Wytta Milum (knee) stay on the sidelines, while OL Cole Van Lanen had limited participation due to a shoulder issue.
Panthers vs. Jaguars Pick
Spread Pick for Panthers vs. Jaguars
- Panthers +3.5 (five units)
There are plenty of question marks surrounding both of these teams going into the new season. On balance, though, I like Carolina to cover as the underdog on Sunday. Jacksonville struggled last year when favored, going 1-3 ATS as a favorite and 0-2 as a home favorite. I will need convincing that Coen has had time to make enough of an impact on what was a weak offense last time out. Lawrence was plagued by injury in 2024 and threw 2,045 yards with 11 TDs and seven INTs in 10 games while putting up his worst completion percentage since his rookie year. The Jaguars' defense was also extremely vulnerable to the pass in 2024, giving up more yards than any other unit (257.4/G) and if Young settles in quickly this season, he should be able to take full advantage.
Over/Under Pick for Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Take the Panthers
- Over 46.5 (five units)
As we have seen, these are two teams that last year had serious problems stopping opposing offenses. That suggests that a big score should be on the cards. The Jaguars went 4-1 on the over in non-conference games and 3-1 while playing as favorites. Carolina had an O/U record of 13-4 overall and 6-2 playing on the road. Panthers games yielded average totals of 51.5 points in 2024. Opposing scored at a rate of 25.6 points per game against the Jaguars, ranking the Jacksonville defense 27th in the NFL.
Take the over.
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