After winning the NFC South division in 2025, you’d think that the Carolina Panthers‘ chances to repeat in 2026 would be strong, right? Apparently not. As of this writing, the Panthers don’t even have the second or third-best odds according to one sportsbook.
Buccaneers +115Saints +340Falcons +390Panthers +425Fourth-best odds??? How is this possible?
Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales on the field in the second quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The Panthers needed some help to get into the postseason in 2025 because they were simply unable to take care of business down the stretch. I think that has created this narrative that they were fortunate to even be in the playoffs and weren’t worthy of a postseason spot.
They gave the Los Angeles Rams a handful in the Wild Card round and even held a 31-27 lead with two minutes and change. A seven-play scoring drive by Matthew Stafford gave the Rams the go-ahead touchdown with 38 seconds remaining.
So yeah, the record may not have been pretty, and the way they got into the dance may not have been ideal, but they proved they belonged.
When I look around the league, the only other team I can see that should have better odds than the Panthers is Tampa Bay. With a healthy Mike Evans, they are a completely different animal. But New Orleans? Atlanta? I’m going to need a deep explanation there.
Tyler Shough played well as a rookie, but let’s not get carried away here. In one of those four wins the Saints rattled off at the end of the season, he threw for 144 yards. Two of the other three wins came against the lowly New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. Yes, he did go 2-0 against Carolina, but I’m not convinced that roster is good enough to win more games in 2026 than the Panthers unless they make some serious changes.
As for the Falcons, well, they have another new head coach and some questions around quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who has a lot to prove in this league still and will be coming off an ACL injury.
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