Why the Panthers might be the safest bet in NFL Wild Card Round

The Carolina Panthers are being totally disregarded by sportsbooks. On DraftKings, they are astonishing 10.5-point underdogs, which is up from where they were at the beginning of the week. No one has a modicum of faith in the Panthers.

What's more, the line is -110 on both the Los Angeles Rams and Panthers to cover. Often, with a line that huge, the underdog will have favorable odds to at least cover. That's somehow not the case, even though the Panthers not only covered but outright beat the Rams in Week 13.

Because of that and a few other interesting factors, one insider believes taking the Panthers +10.5 is one of the safest bets you can make this week.

Why betting Panthers to cover is one insider's best bet

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers center Austin Corbett (63) celebrates with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker (18) after a play during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Panthers are a playoff team. They're at home. They are facing a team they have already beaten at home this year. Yet, they're the biggest underdogs in the NFL this week by a wide margin. In fact, the Rams are one of the biggest road playoff favorites in NFL history.

That's a little rich for The Athletic insider Toby Mergler's blood. He called the Panthers +10 the "dog that barks the loudest" among NFL wagers around Wild Card Weekend.

The Rams are favored by so much, sportsbooks must be asking for the Panthers to cover. "The last quarterback to cover a postseason line of 4-plus when favored away from home was Johnny Unitas," Mergler said. "That means there are likely players in this game whose parents weren’t even alive to see it happen."

Plus, the Panthers do their best work when not favored. "Carolina also covered nine times when getting points this season (doing so a remarkable zero times as favorites) and beat the Rams outright in Week 13," he concluded.

The Panthers need only lose by 10 or less to cover the spread. There's certainly a world where the Rams remember how good they are and how much more talent they have, but the Panthers are at home, playing with house money, and know how to beat the Rams.

They might not win, but covering the spread is not too tall of a task for this squad.

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