HomeNFLPanthers vs. Packers Week 8 Picks and Betting Systems
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) celebrates after sacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
“Over the last four weeks, the Packers have looked like one of the best teams in football.”
That’s VSiN.com senior editor Zach Cohen, citing Expected Points Added (EPA) numbers in his preview of tonight’s Panthers-Packers game at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay has gone 3-1 over that stretch and is a 3.5-point favorite over Carolina to kick off Week 8.
But before you assume Zach’s pick, consider what else he discovered:
“When looking up all of these numbers for the Packers, do you know what stood out the most? The Panthers have a better statistical profile over the course of the entire season. Carolina also matches up well with Green Bay in several ways.”
Green Bay is a 3.5-point favorite at Circa, but Zach’s analysis suggests this matchup may be closer than the spread indicates.
So which matters more — Green Bay’s recent improvement or Carolina’s stronger full-season numbers?
Zach breaks down the matchup and has two Best Bets: a side and a player prop.
Dave Tuley sees an opportunity, too. He likes the idea of backing a team coming off an embarrassing defeat and believes Carolina has reasons to respond after Sunday’s 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay.
Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings make Green Bay a 5.6-point favorite. But several of his betting systems point toward Carolina.
Carolina is coming off an ugly 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay. In the last 34 qualifying games, NFL teams that have missed covering the spread by 30 points or more have bounced back as road underdogs of at least three points, going 23-10-1 ATS (69.7%).
Another Thursday Night Football system favors road teams coming off home losses. Those teams are 32-18-1 ATS (64%) over the last four-plus seasons.
And Green Bay qualifies for a play-against system that has seen favorites coming off a straight-up loss in which they covered the spread go just 34-63 ATS (35.1%) since 2019.
Steve’s Week 8 Best Bets will be posted later today, but his Analytics Report is already available.
Lamar Jackson returned to full practice Wednesday ahead of Baltimore’s matchup at Buffalo. The Bills opened as 3.5-point favorites, and the line is now Buffalo -3.
Share your picks. Got an opinion on a pro or college football game this weekend? Post it in the
VSiN Community.
⚾ Roll Out the Barrel
Milwaukee finally got to celebrate Wednesday night.
After Tampa Bay extended the World Series with a 12-inning comeback Tuesday, the Brewers finished the job with a 4-1 victory in Game 5 to capture their first World Series championship.
Milwaukee entered the series as a -160 favorite.
William Contreras, who was +175 to win World Series MVP heading into Game 5, took home the award.
Another championship could be decided today. The Golden State Valkyries lead the Atlanta Dream 3-2 and can clinch the title on the road at 12:30 p.m. ET. Golden State is a 4.5-point underdog.
🏇 A Familiar Horse, an Unfinished Grudge
The Breeders’ Cup is Friday and Saturday at Keeneland, bringing 14 races that are frustratingly difficult to handicap.
But we’re still going to give it our best shot over the next few days.
Saturday’s Classic features defending champion Forever Young, the 2-1 favorite in an eight-horse field.
I still haven’t recovered from loading up on Forever Young in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, only to watch him get knocked around in the stretch and finish third.
Our horse racing handicapper, “Mr. Ed” Sehon, has studied the Classic field. And spoiler alert: He’s not taking the chalk.
We’ve made it easier to find Steve Makinen’s ratings across every sport.
The new VSiN Power Ratings Hub brings his sport-by-sport ratings together in one place, with links to the complete ratings and daily or weekly head-to-head matchups.
You can even sort the matchups to find the ones marked with stars, indicating potential value against the actual betting line. >> Explore the New Power Ratings Hub
📘 DonBest College Basketball Rotation Book
The DonBest College Basketball Rotation Book is now available for just $4.99.
