Check out an expert preview, prediction and pick for the NFL Week 7 game between the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.

Week 7 brings us a battle between a rising playoff hopeful and the last winless team in the NFL. Surprisingly, it’s the Panthers who hope to make some noise in the NFC, while the Jets stumble to an 0-6 record. It’s a compelling matchup for all the wrong reasons.

The Panthers are 1.5-point road favorites for this contest on DraftKings Sportsbook. If you believe in a Jets upset, they’re priced at -102 on the moneyline. The total for this game is set at 41.5 points. Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Jets-Panthers game.

Jets vs. Panthers prediction, preview

It all comes back to the passing game for the New York Jets. They signed Justin Fields with the hopes of coaxing some good play out of the former first-round pick, but it’s not going well. They’re last in passing yards per game and 30th in net yards per attempt. Things hit rock bottom last week against the Broncos, when the passing game netted -10 yards, and the offense only put up 82 total yards. It’s the sacks that are killing this offense before it has a chance to breathe.

The 0-6 record definitely involves some bad luck. Their 13-11 defeat against the Broncos was their fourth one-score loss of the season. But “almost” gets you nowhere in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have won two straight one-score games to move back to .500. Of all people, it’s backup running back Rico Dowdle that’s been a shot in the arm. In place of the injured Chuba Hubbard, Dowdle has racked up an incredible 473 scrimmage yards over the last two weeks. After nearly setting the franchise record with 234 scrimmage yards in Week 5, Dowdle did set the record with 239 yards last week. Who knows how long he can keep this up?

This comes down to the Jets’ run defense against Dowdle and Hubbard, who is expected to return this week. Can they contain this suddenly lethal rushing attack, or will Dowdle and Co. steamroll Carolina to another win?

Jets vs. Panthers pick, best bet

It’s hard to see a world where the Jets find a way to win right now. Not only are the on-field issues apparent, but the coaching staff is having a rough go as well. Their struggles are spilling over onto the sidelines as their star players yell at the coaches. It’s all going south.

Calling the Carolina Panthers stable feels odd, but compared to the Jets, they’re the 2010s Patriots. I like Carolina to pull off the road win and cover this minuscule spread.

Best Bet: Carolina Panthers -1.5