Who will win Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings Week 4 game? What NFL experts say
After missing the Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, rookie starting quarterback Bryce Young will return to the lineup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
Young has been battling back from an ankle injury, but he will suit up to try and help the Panthers get off their winless skid to start the season. The Vikings, who are also 0-3, come to Charlotte with an impressive offense, but their defense leaves a lot to be desired, and the rookie quarterback could be a set up for a strong performance in his third-ever start.
However, the Vikings are four-point favorites in a battle of 0-3 squads, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 46.5.
Who will win in Week 4? Here’s what our experts think:
Charlotte Observer predictions for Panthers-Vikings game
Keeping accountable, Scott Fowler is 3-0 and Mike Kaye is 2-1 in predictions after Week 3. Alex Zietlow and Langston Wertz Jr. are both 1-2.
Mike Kaye: Panthers 30, Vikings 28. Frank Reich coached the Colts to an 0-3 start in Indianapolis in 2021. In Week 4 of that season, Reich led the Colts past the Miami Dolphins, 27-17, and went on a 9-3 run over the next 12 games. While that’s not in the Panthers’ cards this season (most likely), I do think there is something to be said about having your back against the wall in your second home game of the year. The Vikings defense is pretty rough (27th in yardage allowed, 26th in points allowed), and while Carolina’s unit is beaten up, my guess is the Panthers will pull out all the stops to get their first win of the season.
Alex Zietlow: Vikings 24, Panthers 14. Carolina’s defense is badly bruised. And so is the team’s collective ego. Normally, the latter would compel me to choose the Panthers to escape with a Week 4 win. The problem? The Vikings are also winless through three games and have proven much more competent in important phases of the game: Minnesota boasts the quarterback with the league’s most passing yards (Kirk Cousins, 1,075), the receiver with the league’s most receiving yards (Justin Jefferson, 458) and the pass rusher with the league’s second-most sacks (Danielle Hunter, five). Emerging with a healthy, confident Bryce Young this week would be a moral victory for the Panthers — but that’s the only strain of victory I see coming for them this week.
Scott Fowler: Vikings 28, Panthers 27. I’ve taken this slight lead in our staff predictions due to picking the Panthers to lose every single time. Someday, they’re going to prove me wrong, and I’ll take the “L” when they take the “W.” I don’t think it will be this one, though. The game should be high-scoring, but Minnesota’s offense has a little more firepower.
Langston Wertz Jr. Panthers 28, Vikings 24. Let’s face it, Carolina is due for a win. The Vikings are 0-3 (just like the Panthers) and have the type of porous defense that could be just the thing that returning starting quarterback Bryce Young needs to get going and show everyone why he was the No. 1 overall draft pick. So the guess here is that Young plays well, silences his critics, at least for a week, and the Panthers get a win.
What ESPN, CBS Sports, more experts are saying
CBS Sports: Pete Prisco is taking his usual anti-Panthers stance. He has the Vikings winning by a very narrow margin, though.
ESPN: All seven of the ESPN experts are rolling with the Vikings.
Bleacher Report: Two of the eight experts have chosen the Panthers in their poll.
This story was originally published October 1, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
