Carolina Panthers have no hope of even covering the spread, insiders claim

The Carolina Panthers aren't getting any love in the NFL picks this week. No one, understandably so, is willing to pick such an insane upset, which beating the Los Angeles Rams would be.

That's not all that surprising. It would be more shocking if someone actually did pick the Panthers to win. What's shocking is that, despite the insane double-digit spread, no one's really picking the Panthers to cover, either.

The Panthers are the biggest home underdogs in NFL playoff history. Yet, few seem willing to say that it'll be closer than the 10.5-point line (per Bleacher Report), including all of the outlet's analysts.

No one's picking the Panthers to cover the 10.5-point spread vs. Rams

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales greets Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the field after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

There are two ways this game is likely to go down. Either the Rams will remember how much better they are than the Panthers and dominate, or the fact that these are two playoff teams and one of them already won this matchup will lead to a closer game (still a Panthers loss, most likely).

Given how massive the spread is and the fact that no road team has covered even close to that big of a spread in the playoffs since the Johnny Unitas Jets, it's a little surprising that everyone's so willing to take the Rams and the points.

Everyone on Bleacher Report's site is going with Rams -10.5. "Carolina backed its way into the playoffs, losing three of its last four games. In their previous game against an NFC heavyweight, the Panthers lost 27-10 to the Seattle Seahawks at home," Moe Moton pointed out.

He predicts the Rams will "avenge" the earlier loss with a 14-point victory thanks to Puka Nacua and a returning Davante Adams. For what it's worth, the banged-up Panthers defense beat the Rams when both Nacua and Adams played in Week 13.

Brent Sobleski ripped the Panthers even further, "Truthfully, the Panthers arguably don't have a playoff-caliber résumé. They lost a must-win game in Week 18, finished with a record below .500 and needed tiebreakers to secure a division title."

Even though they're lucky to be here, Sobleski says they're heading for a "buzzsaw" in the Rams' offense. Despite the fact that they "snuck away" with an upset in Week 13, the Rams got the worst Matthew Stafford game all year in that contest. "It won't happen again," Sobleski concluded.

The other five B/R analysts also went with Rams -10.5. It's an unfathomably large spread, and perhaps curiously, none of the experts believe the Panthers can even cover it.

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