In Week 7, the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers both had disappointing losses, but they came in very different ways. The Packers fell on a last-second field goal on Sunday, losing 20-17 to the Detroit Lions in a game where everyone — but particularly the refs and the Packers themselves — deserve blame.
Even so, the Panthers’ day was much worse. Carolina lost at home 43-13 to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that came into the day 1-5, and they somehow managed to allow those 43 points with the Bucs
gaining only 64 passing yards. Tampa Bay racked up a whopping 258 rushing yards on Sunday and they got points from both their defense (a fumble return for a score) and special teams (a two-point conversion after a blocked PAT). To make matters worse, Carolina also lost Taylor Moton, their longtime right tackle, to an injury.
On Thursday, the Packers will host the Panthers on a short week, with both teams coming off these disappointing results. But between the short week, Carolina having to travel, and the relative results of the two Week 7 games, it should come as no surprise that the Packers are favored for the Thursday Night Football matchup.
According to FanDuel sportsbook, the line is open at Packers -4.5 for Thursday’s game. If it holds up, that would tie for the biggest amount that the Packers have been favored by in any game this season; unfortunately, the last time that they were giving 4.5 points was in the team’s previous TNF game earlier this season, which saw Bijan Robinson run over, around, and through the Green Bay defense.
Overall, the Packers are sitting 3-2-2 against the spread in their seven games so far, covering in each of the past three. They did manage to cover as 3.5-point underdogs in Detroit after clearing the bar in wins over the Bears and Cowboys the two weeks prior.
This week’s game has a more typical number of points expected, however. While the game in Detroit had lines of well over 50 points as the over/under, Thursday’s contest is at a more typical 47.5. Five of seven Packers games have gone under the projected total so far this season, including each of the last four.
The Packers and Panthers met in Week 8 of the 2025 season as well. That game, which had the Packers as whopping 13-point favorites, ended in a 16-13 Panthers win.
