Broncos vs. Panthers Score Prediction for NFL Week 9 (Denver Has Been Elite as a Favorite)

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are off to a fast start in the 2026 NFL season despite having to face one of the toughest schedules in the league.

After orchestrating a comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, Denver is 6-2 and in first place in the AFC West heading into a Week 9 showdown with the Carolina Panthers and Bryce Young.

Oddsmakers have set the Broncos as favorites on the road in this game, and they’ve covered in every game that they’ve been favored in this season. The Denver defense is one of the 10-best in the league, and it could cause problems for a Panthers team that is extremely banged up and coming off back-to-back losses. Carolina is still in first place in the NFC South, but a loss on Sunday could change that.

All season long, the SI Betting team is predicting the final score of NFL games, a fun way to help bettors decide on spread, moneyline and total wagers each week. Plus, there are a few times where we’ll hit an exact score!

Two division leaders face off in this Week 9 battle, but I’m eyeing Denver to improve on a strong start on the road. Here’s a look at my score prediction for this matchup.

Broncos vs. Panthers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Broncos -2.5 (-120)
Panthers +2.5 (+100)

Moneyline

Broncos: -148
Panthers: +124

Total

43.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

The total in this game has dropped a point since opening at 44.5, but Denver has held steady as a road favorite. The Broncos are a perfect 4-0 against the spread when favored this season, and they’ve faced the toughest schedule in the league. So, oddsmakers are buying them against a Panthers team on a two-game skid.

Broncos vs. Panthers Score Prediction

Each week, SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan picks every single game in his Road to 272 column, and he’s targeting the Broncos to cover in this matchup on Sunday:

There has been a lot of discourse about the Denver Broncos continuing to find ways to win games that some would argue they don't deserve to win. While that may be true, let's take note that they've had the single most difficult schedule in the NFL this season so far. Sure, they've barely squeaked out wins, but they've played against the likes of the Chiefs, Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, and Chiefs again. Their only games against bad teams came against the Chargers and Cardinals; in both games, they won comfortably.

They now get to take on a Panthers team that has struggled the past two weeks. Bryce Young isn't as good as he looked early in the season, and this is going to be the best defense he will have faced so far this season.

Denver is going to remind people that despite maybe not being a true Super Bowl-contending team, they're still a significant step above teams at the Panthers' level.

The Broncos may not have crazy EPA/Play numbers, but they’ve taken on multiple offenses in the top-10 in EPA/Play this season and are 6-2 and in the driver’s seat to win the AFC West. Not only are the Broncos 4-0 against the spread as favorites, but they’ve covered in six of eight games – the best mark in the NFL.

Young and the Panthers are capable of scoring, but this Carolina defense is just 20th in EPA/Play, 19th in success rate and 17th in yards per play allowed.

The Achilles heel for the Broncos has been their offense, but Bo Nix has looked a lot better over the last two weeks in wins over Arizona and Kansas City. With the Denver running game also coming along, it’s hard to make a case for the Panthers, who have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL (28th in yards per carry allowed, 26th in EPA/Rush).

I’ll bet on Denver winning this game and remaining in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Final Score Prediction: Broncos 26, Panthers 20

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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