Carolina Panthers 2022 NFL Season Betting Preview (Baker Mayfield Won’t Be Enough for Carolina)

Surely things can’t get worse for the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 season?

Carolina dealt for quarterback Sam Darnold last season, but he struggled mightily, and another injury to Christian McCaffrey killed a strong 3-0 start. 

The 2022 season still brings quarterback questions, as Baker Mayfield is now in from the Cleveland Browns to compete with Darnold and rookie Matt Corral at quarterback. 

Head coach Matt Rhule is on thin ice with how poorly the team has performed in his tenure, and he may need Mayfield to prove that he is head and shoulders above his competition to save his job. 

Here’s how the Panthers are projected to fare this season, as well as some of the moves they made over the lengthy offseason: 

Carolina Panthers 2022 Offseason Moves and Signings

• Re-Signed tight end Ian Thomas to a three-year deal
• Re-Signed wide receiver D.J. Moore to a four-year extension
• Traded a conditional fifth-round draft pick for quarterback Baker Mayfield
• Signed punter Johnny Hekker
• Signed guard Austin Corbett
• Signed defensive end Matthew Ioannidis

Carolina Panthers 2022 Schedule

The Panthers are right in the middle of the pack for schedule strength this season, ranking 14th at SharpFootballAnalysis. 

Carolina will face the Browns in Week 1, dodging Deshaun Watson (suspension) and potentially getting a Mayfield revenge game in the process. Facing the AFC North this season will be a tough task for Carolina, as the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Browns are all projected to be playoff teams. 

Carolina also has a late bye, coming in Week 13 following a matchup with the Denver Broncos, another team projected to make the postseason. 

Carolina Panthers 2022 Win Total Prediction

• OVER 6.5 Wins (-110)
• UNDER 6.5 Wins (-110)

It sounds cliche, but the Panthers’ season really is going to come down to the quarterback position. 

Darnold was downright awful in the middle of the 2021 season, and the team has to hope that Mayfield can give them a solid enough floor to stay aloft in the NFC South. With the Atlanta Falcons taking a step back, the Panthers have a chance to pick up a few easy wins to compete for the No. 2 spot in the division. 

McCaffrey is the straw that stirs the drink on offense, but he’s appeared in just 10 games over the last two seasons. He has to stay healthy for Carolina to go anywhere in 2022. 

Carolina had a very solid defense last season, ranking third in yards per play allowed, second in total yards allowed but just 21st in points allowed (the offense didn’t help that cause). 

Adding an impact pass rusher like Ioannidis should help, and 2021 first-round pick Jaycee Horn figures to return at some point after suffering a season-ending injury early in his rookie season. 

There’s a path for Carolina in a weak NFC, but looking at the team’s schedule, I only feel like there are five games where they have a shot to be favored (New York Giants, Falcons twice, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks). 

I may have bet the OVER if this was at 5.5 wins, but at 6.5, I’ll lean UNDER. 

Lean: UNDER 6.5 (-110)

Carolina Panthers 2022 Odds to Win Division, NFC, Super Bowl

• To Make the Playoffs: +350
• Odds to Win NFC South: +900
• Odds to Win NFC: +7000
• Odds to Win Super Bowl 57: +13000

Let’s call a spade a spade, this team isn’t making the playoffs. 

Even in a weak NFC, we can’t forget that Mayfield was unable to get a far superior Browns team into the playoffs last season. Maybe the weapons such as D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are easier for Baker to work with, but we really don’t know who the quarterback will be entering the season. 

Maybe Darnold wins the job, maybe Carolina struggles and decides to give Corral a look. There’s an old quote from the late great John Madden, “If you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none.”

Well, the Panthers have three. 

This team is going to need to rely on its defense again, and even that wasn’t enough to compete last year. It could be a long season and a potentially final one for Matt Rhule in Carolina if none of these quarterbacks step up.

Follow along with BetSided's picks on Betstamp all season long.