Bryce Young and his 0-1 Carolina Panthers head to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for a 4:05 PM ET kickoff on Sunday afternoon. They’ll take on Kyler Murray and the 1-0 Arizona Cardinals. It’s a battle of two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, both of whom were selected #1 overall in the NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at this Panthers at Cardinals preview and make a few predictions.
It was a tough Week 1 for Young and his Carolina Panthers. They took a trip to Jacksonville and got blown out by Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. After showing positive flashes at the end of the 2024 season, Young reverted to a troubling look. He went just 18/35 for 154 yards. He tossed a single touchdown, but also threw two interceptions. Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan looked solid with five catches for 68 yards.
Arizona stumbled into New Orleans last week as my favorite play on the Week 1 slate and also my survivor pick. Kyler Murray was reportedly facing illness, but showed up nonetheless. The Cardinals looked a little sluggish, but got the job done and cashed with a cover, most importantly. Kyler looked sharp despite the illness, going 21/29 for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He scrambled for another 38 yards on the ground.
Week 2 NFL Confidence Picks Here!
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals Preview and Predictions
Kyler Murray Over 26.5 Rushing Yards (-120)
This might be one of the most mis-priced player props on the market in Week 2. Kyler just ran for 38 yards on seven attempts in Week 1, all while battling illness. He should be rested and recovered from that this week, and facing a defense that gave up 143 rushing yards to a single player (Etienne) last week.
Murray loves to run the ball and has done so in three of his last four games dating back to last year, where he went over this total in eight games. Last year, when these two teams matched up late in the season, Murray ran for 63 yards on just eight carries. Expect him to blow this number out of the water in Week 2.
Arizona Cardinals -6.5 (-110)
This spread being under a full touchdown makes it one of my favorite NFL Week 2 picks. The Cardinals are a team that traditionally starts hot, and despite a slow start, took care of business over a clearly worse-than-them NFC South team last week. It’s that situation again in Week 2, and Kyler Murray isn’t sick.
The Panthers are on a back-to-back road spot, where they are coming off a massive beatdown, losing by 16 to Jacksonville. I simply don’t think a Panthers team that plays like they did last week stays within a touchdown of Arizona this week.
