The Patriots are favored on the money line at -204 as they prepare to host the Panthers in their first pre-season game of the season. The Panthers and Patriots will kick off their pre-season schedules on Thursday, August 8th at 7:00 ET. New England is -4 point favorites with the over/under line set at 34.5 points. This non-conference matchup is being televised on NFLN.

• Date: Thursday, August 8th
• Time: 7:00 ET
• Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
• TV: NFLN

Panthers vs Patriots

The Panthers went 0-3 last pre-season, including a 27-0 loss to the Jets in the opener. They were winless both at home (0-2) and on the road (0-1). Failing to win a single game, Carolina dropped each of its pre-season matchups, following their initial loss with a 21-19 defeat against the Giants and finishing with a 26-17 loss to the Lions.

After dropping their first pre-season game 20-9 to the Texans, the Patriots picked up a 21-17 win over the Packers in week two of last year’s pre-season. They finished the pre-season with a 1-2 record, as they lost 23-7 to the Titans. New England was 1-1 on the road and 0-1 at home in the pre-season.

Panthers Injury Report

• Kemoko Turay – Undisclosed (Out)
• Curtis Hodges – Undisclosed (Out)
• Jonathon Brooks – Knee (Out)
• Popo Aumavae – Undisclosed (Out)
• Daewood Davis – Leg (Out)
• Amaré Barno – Undisclosed (Out)
• Stephen Sullivan – Quad (Out)
• D.J. Wonnum – Undisclosed (Out)
• Yosh Nijman – Undisclosed (Out)
• Cam Sims – Undisclosed (Out)

Patriots Injury Report

• Tyrone Wheatley Jr. – Undisclosed (Out)
• Sione Takitaki – Undisclosed (Out)
• Christian Barmore – Blood Clot (Out)
• Jake Andrews – Undisclosed (Out)
• Cole Strange – Undisclosed (Out)
• Kendrick Bourne – Undisclosed (Out)

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offense struggled in the pre-season last year, finishing 22nd in scoring with just 12 points per game. They were also 24th in rushing yards and 29th in passing yards, averaging only 247 total yards per game, which was 24th in yards per play. The Panthers’ rushing game ranked 24th, while their passing game ranked 27th, with 158.7 yards per game.

Patriots Offense Breakdown

The Patriots’ running game was one of the worst in the NFL last pre-season, as they were 31st in rushing yards and 30th in rushing yards per attempt. Offensively, New England was the lowest-scoring unit in the pre-season, averaging only 12.3 points per game, and they were also last in yards per game (162.7). In the passing game, the Patriots ranked 31st in yards, averaging just 86.3 yards per game.

Panthers Team Defense

Carolina’s defense allowed 94.7 rushing yards per game last pre-season, ranking 10th in the league. However, they gave up 24.7 points per game, which was 21st, and 312.7 yards per game, which was 29th. Against the pass, they allowed 218 yards per game.

Patriots Team Defense

Even though the Patriots’ defense allowed 324.3 yards per game last pre-season, which was the worst in the NFL, they finished 12th in terms of points allowed, giving up 20 points per game. Opposing offenses had success moving the ball down the field, but New England defended well in the red zone. They were 20th in rushing yards allowed and 12th in passing yards allowed.

Panthers vs Patriots Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Panthers offense has averaged 8 points per game while allowing an average of 25. Carolina posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, New England has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 22 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 0-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
• Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Patriots have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-4.

Panthers vs Patriots Prediction

Carolina pulled off the straight-up win over the Patriots in their pre-season matchup, with a final score of 17-13. The Panthers were +4 point road underdogs and covered the spread. The combined score of 30 points was below the over/under line of 34.5 points.

Even though the Patriots were the underdogs, a straight-up bet on the Panthers would have been a profitable one. The under also hit in this game, and predicting a lower-scoring affair could have been a good move in this pre-season contest.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.