It's a battle of winless teams in Charlotte on Sunday as the Carolina Panthers (0-3) take on the Minnesota Vikings (0-3). The game is significant in that only one NFL team has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-4, the 1992 San Diego Chargers. The Panthers enter off a 37-27 defeat in Seattle, while the Vikings had several late chances last Sunday but fell 28-24 at home to the Los Angeles Chargers. Minnesota won the teams' last matchup, a 34-28 overtime win on the road in 2021.
Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The Vikings are listed as 5-point road favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 46.5 points in the latest Minnesota vs. Carolina odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Panthers vs. Vikings picks, you need to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from the computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up more than $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 167-117 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 21-9 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Panthers vs. Vikings and just locked in its picks and NFL Week 4 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Vikings vs. Panthers:
- Vikings vs. Panthers spread: Vikings -5
- Vikings vs. Panthers over/under: 46.5 points
- Vikings vs. Panthers money line: Vikings -224, Panthers +183
- Vikings vs. Panthers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Vikings vs. Panthers live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why the Vikings can cover
Minnesota may be winless but it's not because of its offensive output. Quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the league with 1,075 passing yards and wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads the NFL in receiving yards with 458. Last Sunday, Cousins threw for 367 yards on 32 of 50 passing, with three touchdowns and one interception in the losing effort. Jefferson torched LA's secondary, catching seven passes for 149 yards and a score. With a running game that hasn't been consistent in 2023, more big numbers should be expected from the Vikings' passing attack.
What is plaguing Minnesota the most is its defense, which is surrendering 27.3 points per game. Minnesota has also only generated two turnovers and in turn, the Vikings have a league-worst minus-seven turnover differential. With their season on the brink so early on, expect Minnesota's defense to play aggressively against Carolina's rookie QB Bryce Young. See which team to pick here.
Why the Panthers can cover
With No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young out for Week 3 with an ankle injury, veteran QB Andy Dalton filled in admirably, throwing for 361 yards and two touchdowns on 34 of 58 passing in Seattle. Young, who struggled in his first two NFL games, is set to return this week in an attempt to generate the team's first win of 2023. He's only thrown for 299 yards combined against division rivals Atlanta and New Orleans, and Carolina only generated a meager two touchdown drives in the games he's played in.
Sunday's game should mean the most to veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who played his first nine years in Minnesota before becoming a Panther this offseason. In last Sunday's game, Thielen looked like his vintage self, catching 11 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. With Minnesota surrendering the 7th most passing yards (261.7 per game), this could be an opportunity for Young to get the offense on track in a must-win game. See which team to pick here.
How to make Vikings vs. Panthers picks
The model has simulated Vikings vs. Panthers 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Under on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's Panthers vs. Vikings pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Vikings on Sunday, and which side of the spread is hitting 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Vikings vs. Panthers spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 167-117 roll on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
