- What: NFL Regular Season Game
- When: Sunday, September 22
- Who: Carolina Panthers vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Where: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
The Carolina Panthers aim to recover from their quarterback controversy as they head to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. The Panthers have yet to secure a win this season, while the Raiders stand at 1-1 following their surprise victory in Week 2.
Carolina Panthers
It’s difficult to dispute that Andy Dalton could give the team a higher probability of winning. Bryce Young has only completed 31 of 56 passes for 245 yards without scoring a touchdown and being intercepted three times.
Meanwhile, Dalton has only played one full game since joining the Carolina Panthers, but in that game, he threw two touchdown passes and completed 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards.
Game Day in Vegas
????: CBS
????: WRFX 99.7 in Charlotte@PlanetFitness| #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/1bbqt6YRBT
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 22, 2024
Young deserves criticism for his performance, but it’s important to acknowledge that this team isn’t particularly strong even with him.
It’s difficult to imagine how a journeyman quarterback could inspire enough confidence in the offense to justify the Panthers covering a 5.5-point spread in the home opener in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have entered the Gardner Minshew era, and their performance has been inconsistent. While they started with a loss to the Chargers on the opening weekend, they managed to turn things around with a remarkable come-from-behind victory against Baltimore last week.
While the Raiders may not be the most outstanding team, they stand out with their aggressive playing style. They excel in the basics, and their aggressive approach makes every game a fierce battle for their opponents. This unique style is what makes them a challenging team to defeat.
Let's keep it goin'#CARvsLV | ???? CBS pic.twitter.com/XoMw7peze7
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 22, 2024
If there’s a factor that could derail Dalton’s success in this game, it’s the relentless pass rush. Dalton may encounter one of the toughest challenges, with Maxx Crosby relentlessly charging through the line to pressure him throughout the game.
Crosby has already amassed 11 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for a loss in just two games.
Panthers-Raiders Best Bet
This game feels like it will be very competitive, the Panthers changing their QB situation, handing the ball to veteran Andy Dalton should provide some more competency to their offense. However, the Raiders strength is their defense and I know the crowd will be a factor in this game as it is the opener.
The spread in this one is 5.5 points which feels like a solid number. I think this game is closer than anticipated, I’m expecting a low-scoring grind-it-out game that the Raiders win by a FG.
I’ll take the Panthers and the 5.5 points in this one.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
