Vegas oddsmakers have low expectations for the Carolina Panthers in 2022
Last year around this time, oddsmakers examined the Panthers and arrived at an over-under win total projection of 7.5. Anyone who took the over missed their mark by 2.5 games.
Vegas (as usual) learned its lesson and set the Panthers’ 2022 win total at six games, tied for the fourth-lowest in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. Only the Jets (5.5 wins), Atlanta (5.5 wins) and Houston (four wins) have worse projections.
Last season, Carolina finished 5-12. The Panthers were losers of seven straight games and 12 of their last 14. Despite the losses, the team did not make many changes. Coach Matt Rhule is back. So is quarterback Sam Darnold. Vegas is uninspired by those decisions.
Rhule did revamp his coaching staff by bringing in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, offensive line coach James Campen and a few other new positional coaches. Still, it’s not a promising sign that Vegas dropped Carolina’s win total by 1.5 games from 2021 to 2022.
Vegas thinks the Panthers will finish 6-11, which would mark their fifth consecutive losing season. The Panthers have not won more than seven games since the NFL’s wealthiest owner David Tepper bought the team in 2018.
A six-win prediction makes sense. Carolina averages 5.5 wins per season under Tepper’s ownership. Rhule has had back-to-back five-win seasons. History considered, a bettor taking the over should be ecstatic with a push.
If the Panthers are going to win more than six games, they first need to stabilize their quarterback room. Darnold was bottom of the league in most throwing statistics last season. Expect Carolina to add a quarterback between now and training camp, but that guarantees little.
General manager Scott Fitterer has made smart moves on the margins. The Panthers should have an improved offensive line after signing guard/center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett. Running back D’Onta Foreman brings some size and power that the Panthers lacked last season.
A lot can change during the NFL draft, where the Panthers select No. 6 overall. But for now, the only thing that is substantially different about the Panthers offense is how they plan to deploy a lot of the same players.
Defensively, things will look the same aside from Haason Reddick no longer manning the edge. The Panthers were above average defensively last year but league trends suggest regression next season.
