by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Sep 09, 2022
Game time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Where to watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: PK
FanDuel: Panthers -1.5
BetMGM: Panthers -1.5
Caesars: PK
2021 season record
Browns: 8-9
Panthers: 5-12
A new NFL season is here and what a start we're off to with Buffalo going to the champs' house and knocking them in the mouth. What can we expect when the full slate of games gets rolling on Sunday? Only one way to find out: Get to bigal.com and check out what our champion handicappers are thinking heading into these matchups, and also get the right amount in your pocket for your winnings.
Browns - Panthers preview, analysis and prediction
Who would’ve thought five months ago that this would be the most intriguing matchup going into Week 1? Forget the Los Angeles Rams defending their Super Bowl title, forget the intrigue that comes with the AFC West. Your Week 1 spicy matchup being … the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers?
The only thing that would’ve made this more intriguing would’ve been it being in Cleveland, but this will still be the ultimate revenge game for Baker Mayfield as is. Whether or not this translates to being a good thing remains to be seen, but Mayfield will take on the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018 on Sunday, and I can’t help but think this is going to be a wild game.
Looking at it from the Carolina perspective, this is a big moment for Mayfield. This is the man that led the Browns to the playoffs a few years ago and even led them to a playoff victory. Personnel decisions aside, he’s been the most successful quarterback the Browns have ever had. They’ve since gone the Deshaun Watson route, but stupid decisions by him will not have him in a Browns uniform until Week 12 or so, and that’s the bed the Browns have to lie in.
That reason alone should warrant why the Panthers should win this game. Not that this should be any slander toward Jacoby Brissett, who is the Cleveland starting quarterback for now, but the Panthers with a home-charged crowd should give the Panthers a huge advantage in this one.
“I’m grateful for my time in Cleveland,” Mayfield said. “I started my career there and it ended abruptly and unexpectedly, but we’re here now and everything happens for a reason. I’m rolling with the punches.”
The books have since flipped in favor of the Panthers. Things started as a 4.5-point favorite for Cleveland, but given everything that’s happened in recent memory, the Panthers are giving 1.5 at the majority of the books. The Browns, for as much as they’ve struggled, have not been a good team against the spread in recent memory. Cleveland is .500 (9-9) ATS on the road over the past three years.
The points aren’t expected to come by easy, either. The under is 16-4 when Cleveland plays NFC South opponents, which is a very weird flex.
But as it stands right now, the Browns are going with Brissett and there were moments he did great in Miami last season. The good thing that’ll help Brissett is the running game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb was second in the league last year with 1,259 yards. If anyone can be a steady hand, it might be Brissett. And even he knows, after going last year with Tua Tagovailoa, that when Watson returns, he knows to be the backup.
“No question,” Brissett said. “I’m a teammate first. I don’t have an ego. Well, I like to think I don’t have an ego to where I would say I’m going to make the decision now. It’s not up to me.”
Prediction
You never want to go against the revenge factor with this one. It might not be Baker going full-on hero mode, but at the very least, his teammates will get him going. Having Christian McCaffrey, hopefully healthy, is a great start, and the weapons Mayfield has should do well against Cleveland’s secondary. Panthers by 7
Betting trends
Browns are 7-2 ATS in non-conference games the past three years.
Panthers are 4-12 ATS at home the past three years.
Under is 12-4 in the Panthers' last 16 home games.
2021 statistical leaders
Browns
Passing: Baker Mayfield -- 3,010 yards, 17 TD, 13 INT
Rushing: Nick Chubb -- 1,259 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: David Njoku -- 475 yards, 4 TD
Defense: Myles Garrett -- 16 sacks
Panthers
Passing: Sam Darnold -- 2,527 yards, 9 TD, 13 INT
Rushing: Chuba Hubbard -- 612 yards, 5 TD
Receiving: D.J. Moore -- 1,157 yards, 4 TD
Defense: Brian Burns -- 9 sacks
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Cleveland Browns - Carolina Panthers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NFL projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
