Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Lions vs. Panthers on Sunday Night Football in Week 4

Sunday's NFL action in Week 4 wraps up with an intriguing NFC battle between the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers are off to a 1-2 start this season after winning the NFC South in 2025, and they're set as home underdogs in this matchup against a Lions team with one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Detroit currently ranks seventh in the league in EPA/Play on offense and has scored at least 30 points in every single one of its games.

Jared Goff and company are looking to get back into the playoff mix after finishing in last in the NFC North last season, and they have a pretty easy schedule in 2026 to help make that happen.

The Panthers are pretty banged up coming into this matchup, including the loss of star cornerback Jaycee Horn, who's dealing with a quad injury. That will affect how they defend star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions, who are fourth in the NFL in EPA/Pass.

There are a ton of ways to bet on this game, which has an extremely high total currently at 51.5 with these two struggling defenses facing off.

All week long, the SI betting team has been putting together game picks, props, and predictions to help bettors narrow down their selections for this primetime matchup. I've decided to compile some of our favorites to give you a one-stop shop for betting on Sunday Night Football.

Let's dive in!

Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Lions vs. Panthers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Detroit Lions -3.5 (-112) vs. Carolina Panthers – Iain MacMillan
Sam LaPorta Anytime TD (+185) – Peter Dewey
Jahmyr Gibbs OVER 97.5 Rushing Yards (-113) – Peter Dewey
Bryce Young OVER 249.5 Passing Yards (-111) – Peter Dewey

Detroit Lions -3.5 (-112) vs. Carolina Panthers – Iain MacMillan

Each week, SI Betting’s senior editor Iain MacMillan shares his favorite pick for every NFL game in his Road to 272 column. He’s targeting the Lions to cover the spread in this primetime matchup:

I'm still buying in on the Lions. They're going to start to get healthy on defense, and I still believe the betting market isn't evaluating them fairly. They have had the second-worst defensive luck through the first three weeks, according to RBSDM.com, which makes me even more confident in my conviction that this team is an NFC contender.

Meanwhile, last week showed me that maybe I was too quick to give Bryce Young credit after a hot start. He had a bad outing against the Cleveland Browns, so I don't think we can pencil in the Panthers racking up points against the Lions on Sunday.

Sam LaPorta Anytime TD (+185) – Peter Dewey

Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is healthy and off to a strong start in the 2026 season, reeling in 14 of his 19 targets for 144 yards and a score. LaPorta has played 89.9 percent of the snaps for the Lions, which gives him a really solid floor when it comes to this market.

Detroit’s offense has been very Gibbs-centric through three weeks, but LaPorta and St. Brown have been reliable options as well with Jared Goff tossing eight scores in three games.

The Lions have really struggled defensively, allowing 24 or more points in three straight games, which has forced them into a few shootouts. That’s great news for LaPorta and this passing game, especially against a Carolina defense that allowed 59 points to Chicago in Week 1 and two passing scores to Deshaun Watson in Week 3.

The Panthers are ninth in the NFL in EPA/Pass because of their strong showing in Week 2 against Cooper Rush and the Atlanta Falcons, but I think this offense is very fade-worthy, especially with star cornerback Jaycee Horn (quad) sidelined for the next several weeks.

LaPorta (+185) has always been a red zone threat, catching 17 scores over his first two seasons before an injury-plagued 2025 campaign.

Carolina gave up two scores to Cleveland tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in Week 3 and has allowed three total touchdowns to the position this season. I expect another high-scoring game on Sunday night, so I like LaPorta to score for the second time in 2026.

Jahmyr Gibbs OVER 97.5 Rushing Yards (-113) – Peter Dewey

The Panthers’ defense ranks dead last in the NFL in yards per carry allowed this season (5.7), which is great news for MVP candidate Jahmyr Gibbs.

The star running back has moved all the way down to +2800 to win the MVP this season, and he’s coming off a 99-yard performance against the New York Jets in Week 3.

Gibbs has cleared 97.5 rushing yards in two of his three games in 2026, and he’s taking on a defense that is 28th in EPA/Rush and last in rushing yards allowed (580) through three weeks.

I’m not going to overthink this prop, especially since Gibbs has handled 20 or more carries in two of his three games while playing over 75 percent of the Lions’ offensive snaps.

Bryce Young OVER 249.5 Passing Yards (-111) – Peter Dewey

I love this line for Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, who has thrown for over 250 yards in each of his first three games this season.

Young has 361, 287 and and 291 yards in his three games, and Carolina is 13th in the NFL in EPA/Pass. Young has attempted at least 36 passes in each game, and he may need to throw the ball a ton against a high-powered Lions offense that has scored 31 points in every game in 2026.

The Lions’ defense has struggled against the pass (27th in EPA/Pass), so Dave Canales’ offense should look to the air in Week 4. No team in the NFL has allowed more passing yards than Detroit (898), and Young has easily cleared this total even in a loss to Cleveland.

I’m buying the former No. 1 overall pick, as he looks to have turned a corner a bit in his fourth NFL season.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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