Barstool Bush
Predictions

Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills

By Bush StaffUpdated 7d ago·2 min read
Carolina PanthersCAR(1-0)
Buffalo BillsBUF(0-0)
14—29
FINAL
Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Panthers(1-0)
LLLWL
14
Bills(0-0)
LWWLW
29
Best BetBills -162
Postgame

The pick landed clean: Buffalo won 29-14 running away, exactly the kind of separation the price implied. Allen's sharp start set the tone, and Bass's three field goals plus two rushing touchdowns did the rest while Carolina never found rhythm until Metchie's score.

Pregame

Buffalo opened as a clear favorite here and the logic holds up: Allen and the Bills' top unit are playing real snaps while Bryce Young is capped in the 10-20 range before Pickett mops up. We took the Bills at -162 and the price has held in that neighborhood since. Betting against the favorite when it's the only side actually trying to win the game isn't a risk worth taking.

Josh Allen didn't need much time to make his presence felt at Highmark's 1:00 PM ET kickoff, going 6-for-8 for 111 yards and a 9-yard touchdown to Keon Coleman before handing things off to the rest of Buffalo's quarterback room. Carolina's answer came mostly from Kenny Pickett, who worked extensively behind center and finished 16-of-19 for 92 yards and a touchdown, with Bryce Young also getting his own reps as part of head coach Dave Canales' plan to play the starters in the preseason opener.

The health notes piled up fast on both sides. Buffalo's newly acquired receiver DJ Moore came off the field grabbing his ankle during the game, a scary moment for an offense that just added him via trade. Carolina, meanwhile, was already down its best interior defender in Derrick Brown, who sat out entirely with a knee issue, while Tershawn Wharton still has no firm timeline on his own neck injury.

None of that stopped Buffalo from pulling away. Tyler Bass hit three field goals, Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. each punched in short rushing touchdowns, and the Bills built a lead that Carolina's John Metchie III touchdown catch in the fourth quarter never seriously threatened. It's preseason, so a final score only means so much — but Buffalo controlled just about every phase of it.

Buffalo enters the year having gone 3-2 in its last 5 games a season ago before dropping the finale, while Carolina limped out of last season on a 3-game skid before rebounding to open this preseason with a win over Arizona in the Hall of Fame Game. Neither record means much in August, but both rosters used these snaps to answer real questions — Buffalo's receiver depth behind Moore and Khalil Shakir, Carolina's picture at quarterback and along the interior line.

Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
(1-0)
Jan 10Lvs Rams31-34
Jan 3L@ Buccaneers14-16
Dec 28Lvs Seahawks10-27
Dec 21Wvs Buccaneers23-20
Dec 14L@ Saints17-20
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
(0-0)
Jan 17L@ Broncos30-33
Jan 11W@ Jaguars27-24
Jan 4Wvs Jets35-8
Dec 28Lvs Eagles12-13
Dec 21W@ Browns23-20

Carolina's wide receiver room — Xavier Legette, Elijah Cooks, Roc Taylor, John Metchie III — still has two more preseason games to sort itself out, and the interior of that defensive line needs bodies back healthy before Week 1 gets serious. For Buffalo, the mission was staying upright and building rhythm in front of the home crowd at a brand-new building — mission mostly accomplished, minus the Moore scare.

Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
(4)
  • QuestionableDarren Waller (TE) — The Panthers are slated to sign Waller (groin) to a one-year contract , Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.08/13
  • QuestionableDamien Lewis (G) — Lewis (calf) was an active participant at the Panthers' training camp practice Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.08/12
  • QuestionableThomas Incoom (LB) — Incoom (shoulder) recorded three tackles (two solo) during the Panthers' 33-30 win over the Cardinals in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.08/08
  • OutTershawn Wharton (DT) — Wharton (neck) still does not have a clear return timeline, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.08/09
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
(5)
  • QuestionableChase Lundt (OT) — Lundt is on the edge of making the Bills' 53-man roster, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.08/15
  • QuestionableBen VanSumeren (FB) — VanSumeren (knee) participated in Buffalo's training camp Wednesday, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.08/06
  • QuestionableMichael Hoecht (DE) — The Bills have been working Hoecht (Achilles) into full team drills since the start of training camp, Tim Graham of The Athletic reports.08/04
  • OutTyrell Shavers (WR) — The Bills placed Shavers (knee) on the active/PUP list Tuesday, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.07/28
  • OutDorian Strong (CB) — Strong (neck) reverted to the reserve/non-football injury list Friday.06/12

Sources

NFLCarolina PanthersBuffalo BillsPolymarketKalshi