The Denver Broncos (6-2) head to Charlotte on Sunday looking to strengthen their hold on first place in the AFC West when they face the Carolina Panthers (3-4) at Bank of America Stadium. Although their record is a game below .500, the Panthers are also a first place team as they sit atop the NFC South. The Broncos have won four straight since a loss in early October at San Francisco. Carolina has suffered lopsided defeats in each of their last two games.
This past Sunday, Bo Nix and the Broncos staged an impressive comeback to beat Kansas City, 28-24. Denver trailed 24-13 in the fourth quarter before Nix found Nate Adkins for a touchdown and Jaylen Waddle for the two-point conversion. After a missed Chiefs’ field goal, Nix connected with rookie Jonah Coleman for 51 yards, setting up Coleman’s go-ahead five-yard touchdown with 1:56 remaining. Denver then preserved the victory when its defense stopped Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on fourth-and-goal. Nix finished 20-of-32 for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Denver has now won 15 one-score games over the past two seasons.
As mentioned, Carolina has lost two straight, most recently losing at Green Bay last Thursday 27-19. The Panthers actually led 10-6 early in the second quarter behind a Chuba Hubbard touchdown, but Green Bay answered with 21 straight points to take control. Bryce Young completed 23 of 41 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Hubbard supplied 81 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries plus seven catches for 38 yards. Carolina made things interesting when Young hit Jalen Coker for a 26-yard touchdown with 5:37 left, but the Panthers failed on the two-point conversion and never scored again. The most troubling stats to emerge from the game was Young being sacked six times and Carolina’s offense managing only 258 yards.
The central storyline is therefore strength against vulnerability: a Carolina offensive line that surrendered six sacks at Green Bay now has to protect Young against Denver, while the Panthers must find a way to slow a Broncos team that has developed a remarkable habit of winning tight games.
Recent history strongly favors Denver. The Broncos hold a 7-2 all-time advantage over Carolina, including the postseason, and won the teams’ most recent meeting 28-14 in Denver on October 27, 2024. That game featured the same starting quarterbacks expected Sunday: Nix shredded Carolina for 284 yards and three touchdown passes, added a rushing touchdown and posted a 124.2 passer rating, while Young threw for 224 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Let’s dive further into the numbers and see if we can’t find an additional sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Broncos vs. Panthers
- Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
- Time: 1:00P
- Site: Bank of America Stadium
- City: Charlotte, NC
- TV/Streaming: CBS
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Latest Game Odd: Broncos vs. Panthers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Denver Broncos (-155), Carolina Panthers (+130)
- Spread: Broncos -2.5
- Total: 44.5
Money has come in on the Panthers pushing the number below the key number of 3 where it opened. The Total has risen a couple of points to 44.5.
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Expert Picks & Predictions: Broncos vs. Panthers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s game between the Broncos and the Panthers:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Broncos -2.5.
- Total: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 44.5.
Here’s why we are leaning towards the Broncos -2.5:
The defensive side is where this gets ugly for the Panthers. Carolina ranks 28th in points allowed (27.57 per game), 29th in touchdowns allowed (22), 32nd in rushing touchdowns allowed (12), 30th in rushing yards allowed (140.71 per game), 28th in yards per carry allowed (4.83), and 26th in touchdown percentage allowed (4.84%). They’ve allowed 22 touchdowns (29th) through seven games.
Here’s why we are leaning towards playing the Game Total UNDER 44.5:
The logic here is about where the points come from. Denver’s offense is genuinely limited — the Broncos rank 32nd in yards per play (5.01), 32nd in total yards (285.5 per game), 31st in passing yards (192.88 per game), 30th in completion percentage (59.6%), 28th in yards per pass attempt (5.97), 32nd in third-down conversion rate (30.0%), and 22nd in points scored (21.5 per game). They’ve run just 57.0 plays per game (30th) and they’re 32nd in fourth-down go-for-it rate (8.33%) — this is a team that punts and plays field position.
Carolina’s offense moves the ball but doesn’t finish. The Panthers rank 5th in total yards (402.57 per game) and 2nd in passing yards (300.57 per game), but they’re 32nd in completion percentage (58.76%) and 22nd in sack rate allowed (8.39%). They throw a lot of incompletions and take a lot of sacks — both clock-stoppers that cut against a high total.
Broncos vs. Panthers: Betting Trends and Stats
- The Broncos are 6-2 against the spread this season
- The Panthers are 3-4 against the spread this season
- Denver is 3-5 to the OVER this season
- Carolina is 3-4 to the OVER this season
Quarterback Matchup: Broncos vs. Panthers
- Broncos: Bo Nix
2026 Statistics: 8GP, 1493 Passing Yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs, 83.6 RTG, Sacked 10 times - Panthers: Bryce Young
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 1921 Passing Yards, 13 TDs, 5 INTs, 89.2 RTG, Sacked 23 times
Broncos vs. Panthers: Top Playmakers
Broncos
- RB J.K. Dobbins
2026 Statistics: 8GP, 94 carries for 306 Yds, 3 TDs / 8 receptions on 10 targets for 27 Yds, 0 TDs - WR Jaylen Waddle
2026 Statistics: 8GP, 29 receptions on 51 targets for 315 Yds, 2 TDs - WR Courtland Sutton
2026 Statistics: 8GP, 20 receptions on 38 targets for 221 Yds, 1 TD
Panthers
- RB Chuba Hubbard
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 118 carries for 540 Yds, 5 TDs / 22 receptions on 26 targets for 150 Yds, 2 TDs - WR Tetairoa McMillan
2026 Statistics: 7GP, 42 receptions on 66 targets for 569 Yds, 2 TDs - WR Jalen Coker
2026 Statistics: 6GP, 27 receptions on 44 targets for 364 Yds, 3 TDs
Broncos vs. Panthers: Injury Update
Broncos
- DE Eyioma Uwazurike (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Talanoa Hufanga (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- S Brandon Jones (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Kris Abrams-Draine (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
Panthers
- LG Damien Lewis (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- G Corey Bullock (quad) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- G Torricelli Simpkins III (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Bobby Okereke (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Will Lee III (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game
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