Coming off their big win in Baltimore, the Raiders are suddenly seen as having a competitive team, rising nearly eight spots in the power rankings on average from the first week.
The Panthers are going in the other direction. They are 0-2 and just benched former No. 1 overall pick QB Bryce Young.
So, it should be no surprise the Raiders open as five-point favorites as the Panthers come to Las Vegas. The over/under on points scored is set at 40 points.
It may actually be a bit of a surprise the point spread isn’t more than that. The Panthers have been outscored 73-13 over the first two weeks of the season. That’s a -60-point differential. Compared to the Raiders point differential of -9.
Andy Dalton will be getting the start for the Panthers as they try to jump start things. The 37-year-old journeyman has started just one game the past two years, so the biggest challenge for the Raiders could be game planning for him.
