Carolina Panthers open as big underdogs for Week 2 vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Panthers are not favored, and that's no surprise.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) unloads the ball during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers were underdogs on the road in Week 1 against a team that finished with one fewer win than Carolina last season. After a disgusting showing in that game, it's no surprise that, on the road against a team that nearly made the playoffs in 2024, the same is true.

The Panthers are heavy underdogs in Week 2. The Arizona Cardinals open as 6.5-point favorites, which is the second-largest line between two teams per DraftKings. The only bigger one is the Buffalo Bills being 7.5-point favorites against the New York Jets, but one could argue that one should shrink, and the line between Carolina and Arizona should grow.

The over/under isn't all that kind, either. The oddsmakers don't expect a ton of points here, setting the line at 45.5 points. The under is slightly favored at -115 to -105, so Vegas isn't confident in these offenses. That effectively means Vegas expects Carolina to lose roughly 27-19 or so.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) makes a first down during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The moneyline is not kind to Carolina, either. They're +220 to win, and Arizona is -270. Only the Baltimore Ravens and Bills have better odds of winning in Week 2, which means Carolina is basically the easiest opponent anyone has next week.

It paints an ugly picture of the state of the Panthers, but it's pretty hard to disagree with them. The defense could not generate a lick of pressure on the quarterback or stop the run. The offense couldn't pass the ball down field very well, and the running game was limited before it had to be ultimately abandoned.

The team looks like it has more holes than it did last year, which seems improbable. The answers they found at the end of 2024 are long gone, and more questions have seemingly popped up in their place about the quarterback, coach, and front office as a whole.

Nothing worked on Sunday, and the oddsmakers certainly don't believe the Panthers have a turnaround in them. Maybe the only thing working in their favor is the historical dominance of the Cardinals. They're 14-6 against Arizona all-time.

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