'Sunday Night Football' prediction, odds, spread, time: Lions vs. Panthers picks from expert on 22-11 run
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Larry Hartstein reveals his picks for Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers in the 2026 Week 4 'Sunday Night Football' matchup
• 2 min read
Teams that can score a lot of points clash when the Detroit Lions take on the Carolina Panthers in a key NFC showdown on 'Sunday Night Football.' Detroit outlasted the New York Jets 31-24 in Week 3, while Carolina fell short 21-18 against the Cleveland Browns. The Lions (2-1), who are averaging 31 points per game, are giving up 31.7 and are 0-1 on the road. The Panthers (1-2), who are averaging 29.7 points, have allowed 27.7 and are 0-1 on their home field. Carolina will be without several players, including cornerback Jaycee Horn (quad). Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $25 bonus after depositing $10:
Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The latest Lions vs. Panthers odds have Detroit as a 3.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points scored is 50.5. The Lions are 3-7 ATS over their past 10 games, while the Panthers are 5-5. Before making any Lions vs. Panthers picks or 'Sunday Night Football' predictions be sure to see what Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He is coming off a 2025 NFL season in which he went 50-37 ATS (57.5%), putting him at 643-555 ATS all time. For NFL Office Pool players, Hartstein picked every game straight-up the past two seasons and nailed nearly 70 percent of those picks on NFL betting sites. He also enters this season on a 22-11-1 roll on his last 34 picks involving the Lions, returning $966 to $100 players. Anyone following his picks on betting sites could have seen huge returns.
Now, Hartstein has zeroed in on Lions vs. Panthers. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Panthers vs. Lions:
Lions vs. Panthers spread | Lions -3.5 |
Lions vs. Panthers over/under | 50.5 points |
Lions vs. Panthers money line | Lions -185, Panthers +172 |
Lions vs. Panthers picks | |
Lions vs. Panthers streaming | Fubo (Try for free) |
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Top Lions vs. Panthers predictions
Hartstein is leaning Over 50.5 combined points for over/under betting at betting apps. He knows both teams have had a hard time stopping opposing offenses. The Panthers gave up 59 points in a season-opening loss to Chicago, while Detroit allowed 41 points at Buffalo two weeks ago. The Over has hit in five of the previous eight meetings between the teams.
Hartstein sees a lot of points being scored. "Carolina -- which outgained the Browns by nearly a yard per play and had 24 first downs in the 21-18 loss in Cleveland -- should do enough to make this a shootout," Hartstein said. Meanwhile, Detroit should also score at will seeing as the Panthers have the No. 26 scoring defense. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Lions vs. Panthers picks
Hartstein also has found a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Lions vs. Panthers on 'Sunday Night Football,' and what X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lions vs. Panthers spread you need to jump, all from the expert who has returned $966 to $100 players over his last 34 Detroit Lions picks, and find out.
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