Best NFL Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Panthers vs. Packers on Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 8)

The NFL season is getting closer and closer to the halfway mark, and Week 8 kicks off with an exciting NFC battle between the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers.

Green Bay is set as a 3.5-point favorite at home in this primetime matchup, and it’s looking to stay over .500 in the 2026 season after a Week 7 loss to Detroit. Despite a three-game winning streak earlier this season and a 4-3 record overall, the Packers are in last place in the NFC North heading into Week 8.

So, every game means a ton for Jordan Love, Matt LaFleur and Co. as they look to get back to the playoffs.

Bryce Young and the Panthers are in a different spot, as they’re in first place in the weak NFC South despite going 3-3 through their first six games. Carolina lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, and it only has a half-game lead over the Atlanta Falcons in the division.

The Panthers won the NFC South last season, but a litany of injuries to open the 2026 campaign have put them in a tough spot to repeat. Still, oddsmakers aren’t expecting them to have another blowout loss with this spread set inside a touchdown on Thursday.

All week long, the SI Betting team has shared our favorite game picks, props, anytime touchdown scorer selections and more for Panthers vs. Packers. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorites to give our readers a one-stop shop to prepare for Thursday Night Football.

Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Panthers vs. Packers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Green Bay Packers -3.5 (-110) vs. Carolina Panthers – Iain MacMillan
Josh Jacobs Anytime TD (-145) – Peter Dewey
Bryce Young OVER 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-111) – Peter Dewey
Matthew Golden OVER 4.5 Receptions (-139) – Peter Dewey

Green Bay Packers -3.5 (-110) vs. Carolina Panthers – Iain MacMillan

Earlier this week, SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan shared his favorite bet for every NFL game in his Road to 272 column, and he’s taking the Packers to win and cover on Thursday:

I wrote about how I was out on the Panthers last week, and I proved to be right as they ended up on the wrong side of a blowout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'm still out on this Panthers team, as they seem like a significant regression candidate after a strong start to the season. Bryce Young, up until last week, had been playing leaps and bounds better than he had the previous three seasons, and I'm of the belief that it's more of a sign of an abnormally strong start against some bad defenses as opposed to a quarterback who improved by tenfold in a single offseason.

The Packers' defense ranks 12th in opponent EPA per play and 10th in opponent EPA per dropback, so with them being on their home field on a short week, I expect them to get to Young in this game.

I'll take the Packers to cover on Thursday Night Football.

Josh Jacobs Anytime TD (-145) – Peter Dewey

Packers running back Josh Jacobs missed the first six weeks of the season on the Commissioner's Exempt List, but he returned in Week 7 and made an immediate impact against the Detroit Lions.

Jacobs played just 52.2 percent of Green Bay’s offense snaps, but he saw 18 opportunities (11 rushes, seven targets) and ended up finding the end zone. The former first-round pick had 11 carries for 36 yards and caught five of his seven targets for 55 yards (and a receiving score) in the loss to Detroit.

He has a great matchup against a Carolina defense that is 30th in EPA/Rush, 32nd in yards per carry allowed and 32nd in rushing touchdowns allowed (11) this season.

While this isn’t the most favorable price, Jacobs has been a touchdown machine in his Packers career, scoring 31 times in 33 games. He’s an easy bet against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.

Bryce Young OVER 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-111) – Peter Dewey

Bryce Young has been one of the best passers in the NFL even with his rough showing in Week 7 against Tampa Bay.

In six games, Young has thrown for 1,712 yards and 12 scores, reaching at least 281 passing yards in five of his six games. He’s also posted four games with multiple touchdown passes.

Green Bay is fifth in the NFL in EPA/Pass, but the Lions showed in Week 7 that you can throw on this team by attacking the outside corners. They lined Amon-Ra St. Brown – usually their slot receiver – outside quite a bit, and he finished the day 153 receiving yards. Plus, deep-ball threat Jameson Williams had two scores and 91 yards in the win.

So, I expect Young and the Panthers to air it out against Green Bay, which has still allowed nine passing scores this season.

Young has 36 or more pass attempts in five of his six games, so I think he’s a strong bounce-back candidate after a weird Week 7 game got out of hand very quickly for Carolina.

Matthew Golden OVER 4.5 Receptions (-139) – Peter Dewey

Love has thrown the ball quite a bit in the 2026 season, and former first-round pick Matthew Golden has been one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Through seven games, Golden has 69 targets, 36 catches and 540 receiving yards. He’s also found the end zone three times. Now, Love and Golden haven’t connected as much as you’d expect given his target share, but the second-year wideout still has five games with at least five receptions.

Golden also has six or more targets in every game and four games with 12 or more looks. So, the volume should be there against a Carolina defense that is pretty average against the pass (13th in EPA/Pass) this season.

I think Golden is undervalued at this number in Week 8.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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