Panthers vs. Bills picks: Experts share predictions for Week 8

The Buffalo Bills will visit the Carolina Panthers this week. This is a matchup of two teams with four wins, which seemed impossible not too long ago. However, the experts don't believe similar records speak to a similar quality in teams, because most of them are picking the Bills to win pretty easily.

CBS Sports: Bills 28, Panthers 20

Pete Prisco: "The Bills are coming off the bye, which was needed after losing two straight. The Panthers have won two straight behind their physical run offense and a physical defense. The Bills have had run-defense problems, but I think they are better here at stopping it. Josh Allen gets back on track. Bills take it."

The Athletic

Vic Tafur (Bills -7.5): "The Bills have lost two in a row and haven’t covered the spread in four straight, and here we are laying more than a touchdown against a hot Panthers team (three consecutive wins and also 3-0 at home). Hmmm. Andy Dalton is starting for an injured Bryce Young and will be asked to hand the ball off against a Bills defense allowing a league-worst 5.8 yards per carry. Hmmm. See our Ravens logic earlier and just take Josh Allen and lay the points."

KC Joyner (Panthers +7.5): "One of the keys to this game will be how these teams fare at stopping the ground game. Carolina has been one of the best in the NFL in this area over the past month. Buffalo is the flip side of that coin, with some of the worst rush defense metrics since Week 4. That disparity should allow the Panthers to keep this game closer than expected. It’s why Carolina gets my cover pick, but Allen’s presence lands my pick to win in the Buffalo column."

Bleacher Report: Bills -7.5

In a rare turn of events, every B/R insider picked the Bills to not only win but cover.

Moe Moton: "The Panthers' 3-0 home record makes them an intriguing underdog against the Bills, who lost consecutive games before their Week 7 bye. Moreover, Buffalo lost by 10 to the Atlanta Falcons, who failed to score in a 30-0 road loss to Carolina in Week 3. If you followed that, this should be a competitive game that makes you sweat while on the Bills' side. However, Buffalo is coming off a bye week, and Carolina will likely start 37-year-old Andy Dalton while Bryce Young recovers from a high ankle sprain. With Dalton as their starting quarterback, the Panthers are 1-5, and they lost all five games by 10 or more points. The refocused Bills win big in Carolina."

Brent Sobleski: "Despite a unanimous choice in the Bills' favor, a pathway exists for the Panthers to keep this game close. They can run the ball quite well, while the Bills field one of the league's worst run defenses. However, Buffalo is coming off a bye, with two weeks to prepare for that specific area. With quarterback Bryce Young out of the lineup, the Bills can load the box and concentrate on slowing Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, without too much worry that Dalton is going to exploit the approach at this point in his career. Otherwise, Josh Allen and Co. should be able to move the ball, even against Carolina's top-10 defense."

USA Today

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) catches a touchdown pass during a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, Oct 19, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jon Hoefling (Panthers +7.5): "The Carolina Panthers have had a pretty stellar rushing attack recently, thanks to the emergence of Rico Dowdle. Now they get a Bills defense that has surrendered 5.8 yards per carry on the season (worst in the NFL)? Give me the Panthers all day."

Jordan Mendoza (Panthers +7.5): "Don't look now, but Carolina is really picking up steam. Can it keep it going when one of the NFL's juggernauts come into town? The Panthers are able to hang around with the Bills and gain some more respect."

Tyler Dragon (Bills -7.5): "No chance the Panthers win this game. Buffalo is rested coming off a bye and Bryce Young (ankle) is out."

Lorenzo Reyes (Panthers +7.5): "The Panthers have played fairly well, particularly at home, where they're 3-0 against the spread. The Bills are coming off a bye, but their offense has been vulnerable, depending significantly on Josh Allen. I don't know that the Panthers win, but I do think they keep this closer, as Buffalo has been overvalued all season long."

Richard Morin (Bills -7.5): "The Bills need a get-right game, and they get one."

Christopher Bumbaca (Bills -7.5): "I feel pretty good about the Bills off a bye and Andy Dalton on the other side. Panthers' three-game winning streak is a nice run but must end eventually."

Sports Illustrated

Albert Breer: Bills
Clare Brennan: Bills
Mitch Goldich: Bills
Gilberto Manzano: Bills
Conor Orr: Bills
John Pluym: Bills
Matt Verderame: Bills

NFL

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— Michael Bell (@avl_mike) October 22, 2025

Daniel Jeremiah: Bills
Colleen Wolfe: Bills
Adam Rank: Bills
Marcas Grant: Bills
Bucky Brooks: Bills
Maurice Jones-Drew: Bills
Grant Gordon: Bills
Nick Shook: Bills
Eric Edholm: Bills
Kevin Patra: Bills

ESPN

Matt Bowen: Bills
Mike Clay: Bills
Jeremy Fowler: Bills
Dan Graziano: Bills
Kalyn Kahler: Panthers
Pamela Maldonado: Bills
Eric Moody: Bills
Jason Reid: Bills
Lindsey Thiry: Bills
Seth Wickersham: Bills

Our Prediction: Bills 31, Panthers 24

Nothing about this game suggests the Panthers are going to be able to win. If (when) Bryce Young is ruled out, the chances drop significantly. The Panthers can run the ball on Buffalo, but can they run when Josh Allen puts up score after score to get a lead? It will be harder to do, and while it's mostly Allen or bust in Buffalo, that's still a really bad defensive matchup for the Panthers.

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