Browns vs. Panthers Prediction, Odds, Spread, Trends for NFL Preseason Week 1

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Cleveland Browns-Carolina Panthers matchup in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

The Carolina Panthers and quarterback Bryce Young are favored on Friday night. / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers enter their second NFL season under head coach Dave Canales, and they’re set as home favorites at many of the best betting sites in Week 1 of the preseason against the Cleveland Browns. 

Cleveland has quite the wild quarterback room, as veteran Joe Flacco is the current favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the job over Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. 

It'll be interesting to see how the Browns handle reps for their quarterbacks in the preseason, but after watching Flacco with the Indianapolis Colts last season, it’s hard to say that any of them should inspire Browns fans to believe they’ll be a playoff contender in the 2025 season.

Rookie Shedeur Sanders will get the first crack at things in Week 1 of the preseason.

Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders is expected to start Cleveland’s preseason opener vs. the Panthers, as @MaryKayCabot reported. pic.twitter.com/aO0B4olneY

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2025

And, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski, Tyler Huntley is the only other quarterback that may play on Friday.

Kevin Stefanski confirms Shedeur Sanders will start Friday for the Browns.

Tyler Huntley may play, as well.

Those would be the only 2 QB that will play.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 6, 2025

On the Panthers' side, there is a new strategy afoot.

After not playing starters for much of the preseason last year, Canales has changed his tune in 2025 and announced that Bryce Young and others will get some reps in August. 

"Kind of going through it last year, we had a mix of veteran players, but [this is] predominantly a pretty young team,'' Canales said. "I just can't pass up the opportunities. The reps in games are valuable.

"[But] it goes to the night before, when guys know they're going to go out there, they've got to make a decision to play football. So it starts the night before with the prep. You start thinking about your plan, taking care of your body, making sure you get your rest.''

Even though Young and company likely won’t play long, oddsmakers appear to think that the Panthers will roll when their first group is out there, setting them as 4.5-point favorites in this game.

Let’s dive into the odds, betting trends and my prediction for this preseason clash on Friday night. 

Browns vs. Panthers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Browns +4.5 (-115)
• Panthers -4.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Browns: +170
• Panthers: -205

Total

• 32.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Browns vs. Panthers How to Watch

• Date: Friday, Aug. 8
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Bank of America Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): NFL Network
• Browns record: 0-0
• Panthers record: 0-0

Browns vs. Panthers Betting Trends

• Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is 5-7 straight up and 6-5-1 against the spread in the preseason.
• Panthers head coach Dave Canales is 1-2 straight up and 0-3 against the spread in the preseason.

Browns vs. Panthers Prediction and Pick

A Canales-led team has never covered the spread in the preseason (just last season), but I think his change in philosophy is going to help the Panthers do so on Friday night.

If Carolina plays Young and Andy Dalton at quarterback for a chunk of this game, it should be able to generate some offense against Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the Browns are intent on getting Sanders a ton of reps in this game, which could go one of two ways. Either the fifth-round pick shows that he was a steal in the 2025 draft, or he could struggle mightily in his first pro action.

It’s possible Huntley could lead some scoring drives if he plays, but there’s a real chance the Browns are going to struggle on offense, especially since Huntley just joined the team.

Carolina did win a preseason game in 2024, and I think the Panthers are an all-around more talented team than the Browns.

I’ll back them to pull out a win on Friday night. 

Pick: Panthers -4.5 (-105 at DraftKings)

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and place a $5 bet to earn a guaranteed $150 in bonus bets. Regardless of the outcome of your wager, DraftKings will add six $25 bonus bet tokens to your new account instantly.