Wk 15 · 2026
Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers — Sun, Dec 20
Sun, Dec 20 ·
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
· Fox
Weather
No forecast yet. This one is 65 days away. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
AFC North · 3-2
at
1:00pET
CIN -2.5 · total 47.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential CAR by 0.1
NFC South · 2-2
What is at stake
An interconference game, AFC against NFC. It counts in both overall records — which is what seeding is settled on first — and in neither team’s division or conference record.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Bengals form
W 31-24at MIAL 17-22vs JAXL 27-30at PITW 20-6at HOUW 33-27vs TB
2026 season
Panthers form
W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season
Bengals this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread2-2-1 · 50% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Panthers this season
Straight up2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Against the spread2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Over / under2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 6
| Opponent | Bengals | Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers NFC | vs W 33-27 preview | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| Steelers AFC | at L 27-30 preview | at Wk 16 · scheduled preview |
| Ravens AFC | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview |
| Falcons NFC | N Wk 9 · scheduled preview | at W 34-3 preview |
| Saints NFC | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview |
| Browns AFC | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview | at L 18-21 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Bengals leads 4–1 with 1 tie · Bengals has won the last 2
6 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
6.2 points toward Bengals
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2024-09-29 | Bengals 34 — 24 Panthers | at CAR | Bengals |
| 2022 | 2022-11-06 | Panthers 21 — 42 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2018 | 2018-09-23 | Bengals 21 — 31 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2014 | 2014-10-12 | Panthers 37 — 37 Bengals | at CIN | |
| 2010 | 2010-09-26 | Bengals 20 — 7 Panthers | at CAR | Bengals |
| 2006 | 2006-10-22 | Panthers 14 — 17 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
Bengals leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Joe Burrow QB #9 | 112/157, 1171 YDS, 7 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Chase Brown RB #30 | 58 CAR, 207 YDS, 1 TD |
| Samaje Perine RB #34 | 13 CAR, 42 YDS | |
| Joe Burrow QB #9 | 11 CAR, 38 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tee Higgins WR #5 | 25 REC, 401 YDS, 1 TD |
| Ja'Marr Chase WR #1 | 21 REC, 212 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Mike Gesicki TE #88 | 11 REC, 155 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Dohnte Meyers WR #81 | 11 REC, 129 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Demetrius Knight Jr. LB #44 | 34 |
| Barrett Carter LB #49 | 30 | |
| Jordan Battle S #27 | 27 | |
| Sacks | Dexter Lawrence II DT #97 | 3 |
| Jonathan Allen DT #93 | 2 | |
| Boye Mafe DE #53 | 2 | |
| Interceptions | Jordan Battle S #27 | 1 |
Panthers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Bryce Young QB #9 | 101/162, 1268 YDS, 9 TD, 2 INT |
| Kenny Pickett QB #12 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Chuba Hubbard RB #30 | 61 CAR, 306 YDS, 3 TD |
| AJ Dillon RB #28 | 17 CAR, 43 YDS | |
| Jonathon Brooks RB #25 | 9 CAR, 30 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan WR #4 | 26 REC, 385 YDS, 2 TD |
| Jalen Coker WR #18 | 18 REC, 222 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Darren Waller TE #88 | 13 REC, 148 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Brycen Tremayne WR #87 | 6 REC, 115 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 31 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 26 | |
| Akayleb Evans CB #29 | 20 | |
| Sacks | Princely Umanmielen LB #3 | 3 |
| Jaelan Phillips LB #5 | 2 | |
| Trevis Gipson LB #52 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 2 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.