TLDR
- The Carolina Panthers gave NFL bettors the best return on investment last season at 60.48%, according to a Sports Illustrated study.
- Carolina finished 8-9 but still won the NFC South and lost to the Rams 34-31 in the Wild Card round.
- Quarterback Bryce Young posted career highs in passing yards and touchdowns but also threw a career high in interceptions.
- The Panthers will start the season without both starting offensive tackles due to injury.
- DraftKings has set Carolina’s 2026 win total at 7.5, with the team facing the NFL’s third-toughest schedule.
The Carolina Panthers were the most profitable NFL team for bettors last season. A Sports Illustrated study found the team delivered a 60.48% return on investment for anyone who bet on them to win every game with a $100 moneyline wager.
That works out to a profit of $1,028.24 over the course of the season. No other team came close to that return.
The Panthers finished the regular season with an 8-9 record. Despite the losing record, they won the NFC South division title.
Carolina’s season ended in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The team lost to the Los Angeles Rams 34-31 after a late touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Stafford.
Bryce Young’s Progress and the Panthers’ History
Quarterback Bryce Young was selected first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. His performance has been mixed since then.
Last season, Young threw for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns. Both numbers were career highs for him.
He also threw 11 interceptions, another career high. Carolina finished 27th in the league in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game with Young starting 16 of 17 games.
The Panthers have never had back-to-back winning seasons since the franchise began in 1995. Since David Tepper became owner eight years ago, the team has a 44-89 record.
Young is playing this season under the fifth-year option Carolina exercised on his rookie contract. His performance in 2026 could determine whether the team offers him a longer extension.
Carolina will be without both starting offensive tackles to begin the season. Taylor Moton is recovering from a blood clot in his lung, and Ikem Ekwonu is coming back from a ruptured right patellar tendon.
Running back Chuba Hubbard also suffered a hamstring injury in training camp. He does not carry an injury designation heading into the season opener against Chicago.
On the positive side, receiver Tetairoa McMillan had a strong rookie year. He caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns and won NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The defense added linebacker Devin Lloyd from Jacksonville and pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, who had five sacks last season split between Philadelphia and Miami.
Schedule and Betting Odds for 2026
Carolina faces the third-toughest schedule in the NFL this season, according to Sharp Football Analysis. The team plays six opponents that made the playoffs last year, including the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Panthers open the season at home against the Chicago Bears, last year’s NFC North champion. They will also play three primetime games this season after just one over the previous two years combined.
DraftKings lists Carolina’s win total for the 2026 season at 7.5, with the over priced at plus-115 and the under at minus-136. The NFC South is considered the weakest division in the NFL heading into this season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are favored to win the division at plus-164 odds. The Panthers sit third in division futures at plus-350, behind the New Orleans Saints at plus-255.
