Colts vs Panthers Prediction | NFL Preseason Week 1

DraftKings has the Colts favored by 1.5 and the Panthers are +105 on the moneyline. Hit up our Colts vs Panthers Prediction before placing those bets on Sunday!

On Sunday, August 15th, the Carolina Panthers are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 1 of the NFL Preseason.

Surprisingly, both coaches have important things to learn going into a “meaningless preseason game.”

For Indianapolis, starting quarterback Carson Wentz underwent foot surgery not too long ago and his availability for Week 1 of the regular season is questionable to say the least. Therefore, backup quarterbacks Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger are looking to take the temporary starting quarterback job.

With coach Frank Riech electing to go with his current guys on the roster it would suggest maybe that Wentz is closer to a return than we think or Eason and Ehlinger have played well so far in camp.

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When the news of Wentz’s injury was first reported, there were rumors swirling on a potential Nick Foles trade from the Bears or even convincing last year’s quarterback, Philip Rivers, to come out of retirement.

Both of those guys are more experienced and already know Reich’s system which is why it is surprising to see the Colts pass up on those opportunities.

This preseason will be extremely important for both Eason and Elihnger to get as many reps as they can. They are both extremely inexperienced and need to gain chemistry with their receivers.

It will be interesting to see how Reich will decide how much each quarterback will play and which QB will play the most with the first team.

How Will Carolina Approach Darnold?

The Carolina Panthers are a team that we could be looking back in a few years and realize how good of a trade they made earlier this offseason. Considering Sam Darnold was one of the best prospects coming out of USC in 2018, the Panthers are taking a chance on a guy that still has a lot of potential at just 24 years old.

Since he was surrounded by a Jets organization that had very little talent and stability, it is hard to evaluate his play his first few years in the league.

Even though Carolina from a talent perspective is not a considerable upgrade from New York, head coach Matt Rhule has already gained some respect around his guys in just his first year on the job.

From the looks of it, it seems like guys love playing for him. Let us not forget all-pro running back, Christian McCaffery is also looking to bounce back from an injury riddled season which could help Darnold immensely as well.

Colts vs Panthers Prediction

Nonetheless, much like DraftKings, I like the Colts to win this game. Even though it is the preseason, their overall roster is much more talented than Carolina’s. Furthermore, their system and culture has already been established for quite a few years now, while Matt Rhule is only on his second season with the team.

USA Wager Prediction: Colts ML (-125)