Two young teams looking to break through will square off in Duval. Here are the storylines, picks, and best bets for the NFL Week 1 game between the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Panthers vs. Jaguars: Game Information
The Third Quarterbackhttps://t.co/HhQXlHJmCa
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 29, 2025
- 🏈 Game: Panthers vs. Jaguars
- 📅 Date: Sunday – Sept. 7, 2025
- 🕗 Time: 1 p.m. ET
- 🏟 Location: EverBank Stadium — Jacksonville, Florida
- 📺 TV Channel: FOX
- 💻 Live Stream: FOX One
Top Storyline: Travis Hunter Makes His NFL Debut
On their first depth chart of the season, the Jaguars are listing their No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter as a starting wide receiver and a second-string cornerback. pic.twitter.com/axvxhUMWzV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025
The Travis Hunter era in Jacksonville begins on Sept. 7.
The Jaguars gave up a haul, including a 2026 first-round pick, to swap spots with the Cleveland Browns and take Hunter in April’s draft.
The Heisman Trophy winner was a star wide receiver and defensive back for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Everyone wants to know two things: Will Hunter play both ways, and can he succeed doing it?
The answer to the first question is yes. The Jaguars plan to play Hunter on both offense and defense. How many snaps Hunter will get on each side of the ball will vary week to week.
Panthers vs. Jaguars: Picks and Best Bets
Panthers +3 (-110)
Vibes are high in Carolina.
The Panthers’ record might have read 5-12 in 2024. However, this was a different team down the stretch.
Bryce Young looked like he was going to flame out, especially after being benched for Andy Dalton. However, Young became the starter after a Dalton injury and led the Panthers to four wins in their last nine games.
Young saved his best for last, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns in Week 18’s overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Panthers have an improved offensive line, an underrated running back in Chubba Hubbard, and a trio of young wide receivers — Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker.
Jacksonville should improve under first-year head coach Liam Coen. The former Buccaneers offensive coordinator turned Baker Mayfield into a top five statistical quarterback last season.
Jaguars fans are hoping Coen will do the same for Trevor Lawrence, who has regressed significantly since the Wild Card win during the 2022 season.
The Jaguars don’t deserve to be a 3-point favorite with a rookie head coach. The Panthers should build on their momentum from last season and win outright, but we’ll take the +3 to be safe.
Bryce Young Over 213.5 Passing Yards (-114)
No team allowed more passing yards per game in 2024 than the Jacksonville Jaguars (257.4).
The Jaguars drafted Hunter and signed Jourdan Lewis in hopes of improving the secondary.
The Jaguars should be better against the pass this year.
However, Young should also be better as a passer in his third year. Young threw for over 214 yards in four of his last seven games in 2024.
Expect Young to surpass that yard total in Week 1.
