The Buffalo Bills will hit the road to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 of the NFL season on Sunday. Buffalo lost two games in a row before they had their bye week. They will try to bounce back after a much-needed week off against a Panthers team that has exceeded expectations in the first half of the season. Before kickoff from Charlotte, you can find my breakdown of this game below, including my Bills vs Panthers prediction.
Our Bills vs Panthers Pick
- Pick: Carolina Panthers +7.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers
- Date & Time: Sunday, October 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
- Broadcast: FOX
Bills vs Panthers Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bills −7.5 | Bills −400, Panthers +300 | Over/Under 45.5 |
Key Storylines
- The Bills enter off a bye after dropping two straight games to the Patriots and Falcons. Their record sits at 4-2 and they enter this week a half-game behind the surprising New England Patriots in the AFC East standings.
- Buffalo’s offense remains dangerous despite their recent struggles. Quarterback Josh Allen has thrown for 1,397 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions so far this season. Running back James Cook has logged 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a balanced attack for Buffalo.
- The Panthers have put together three straight wins and are 3-0 at home in 2025. They are 4-3 for the season and just a game back of first place in the NFC South.
- Carolina faces a major setback this week. Starting quarterback Bryce Young is expected to miss Week 8 after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 7. Veteran Andy Dalton will start in his place.
- The Bills’ defense remains elite in the pass game but has struggled significantly against the run. Buffalo is allowing 156.3 rushing yards per game, ranked 31st in the league in that department.
- The Panthers’ strength has been their run game led by running backs Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. Dowdle has 551 yards on 98 carries, while Hubbard returns from injury to set up a two-back system in Carolina moving forward.
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Bills are 2-4 against the spread this season despite their 4-2 record.
- The Panthers are 5-2 against the spread this season and 3-0 against the spread at home.
- The Bills are 3-3 on over/unders this season.
- Carolina is 4-3 to the over going into Week 8.
- This is the first meeting between these teams since 2021.
Bills vs Panthers Model Projection
Score Projection: Buffalo Bills 27 – Carolina Panthers 21
Win Probability: Buffalo 68%, Carolina 32%
Final Thoughts
The Bills should take advantage of Carolina’s quarterback situation and their rest advantage to get a win in this contest. But I think that the Panthers will continue to surprise by covering the spread in this matchup. Dalton isn’t a huge downgrade from Bryce Young at this stage of Young’s development. I’ll take the Panthers to keep this game within one score, even if Buffalo hands the Panthers their first home loss of the season.
