What NFL Week 3 Expert Picks Tell Us About Panthers-Browns Matchup

The Carolina Panthers will visit the Cleveland Browns this weekend in a key early-season matchup. Both teams are 1-1, and with the schedule the Panthers are facing, every win is of vital importance.

That includes a contest in which the Panthers are road favorites, though not by immensely wide margins. Last week, the Panthers were almost picked by everyone, and they made good on that by dominating the Atlanta Falcons.

What are the experts predicting now?

Expert picks for Panthers vs. Browns in NFL Week 3

Sep 20, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) celebrates scoring a touchdown with quarterback Deshaun Watson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio picked the Panthers to win 28-20 on the road. "For Deshaun Watson, it will be easier to win the game than it will be to win the crowd. And it won’t be easy to win the game," he wrote.

SB Nation's Wallace Delery wrote, "Carolina's offense has been looking as good as it has in a very long time to start this season, and they will continue that against a Cleveland team fresh off victory in Tampa last week. Carolina wins 26-21."

Over at USA Today, Adam Kaufman predicted a narrow 20-17 win for the Panthers. Michael Middlekauff-Hurst picked the Panthers to win 24-19. Nate Davis picked a seven-point win for the Panthers on the road.

Richard Morin, however, predicted a 34-20 blowout. "The Panthers are legit and legitimately overlooked this season. Deshaun Watson is still a turnover machine and isn't doing his defense — which looked much better last week — any favors right now," he argued.

CBS Sports' Pete Prisco didn't learn from picking the Falcons over the Panthers last week. "Bryce Young is rolling for the Panthers, but I think the Browns defense will play well again here as they did in Tampa last week. The Browns take it in an upset," he wrote.

All nine of ESPN's analysts who've made a pick picked the Panthers to win. Bleacher Report's Ian Hanford picked the Browns, writing, "The Browns will look to turn this one into an uglier, lower-scoring affair, and I think they make it happen. Cleveland pulls the upset, and we finally get a Jared Verse sighting."

Every single other B/R analyst picked the Panthers to win, though. The Athletic's Vic Tafur disagreed. "The Panthers’ defense allowed eight plays of 20-plus yards in Week 1, and Browns rookie receiver Denzel Boston and running back Quinshon Judkins should be able to break free. Browns fans cheering for Watson and the 2-1 Browns. Yeah, it’s been a crazy season."

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) runs after making a catch as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes (21) defends | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, what does this mean? The Panthers are in the exact same scenario as last week, and some of the experts are doubling down on their anti-Panthers picks (Prisco and Tafur, notably).

It means the Panthers are once again slight road favorites against a team they should and are widely, but not universally, predicted to win. Like last week, they can't play down to the opponent and take them lightly.

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