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Wk 4 · 2026

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers — Sun, Oct 4

Sun, Oct 4 · Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC · NBC

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 37 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.
NFC North · no games yet
at
8:20pET
DET -3 · total 47.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential DET by 3.0
NFC South · no games yet

What is at stake

An NFC game between two divisions. It decides neither division, but conference record is the tiebreaker that follows head-to-head, and both of these are chasing the same 7 NFC playoff places. Division standings.

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

Lions: +2.2#13
Efficiency margin
Panthers: -2.6#25
Lions: +2.5#5
Offense
Panthers: -2.4#27
Lions: -0.4#19
Defense
Panthers: -0.2#18
Lions: 28.3
Points / game
Panthers: 18.3
Lions: 24.3
Points allowed / game
Panthers: 22.4
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.

Lions form

No completed games on record.

Panthers form

No completed games on record.

Lions this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.

Panthers this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.
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

OpponentLionsPanthers
Saints
NFC
vs Wk 1 · scheduled previewat Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Packers
NFC
vs Wk 7 · scheduled previewat Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Vikings
NFC
vs Wk 8 · scheduled previewat Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Buccaneers
NFC
vs Wk 11 · scheduled previewvs Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Bears
NFC
vs Wk 12 · scheduled previewvs Wk 1 · scheduled preview
Falcons
NFC
at Wk 13 · scheduled previewat Wk 2 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Panthers leads 5–3 · Lions won the last one
8 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 3.8 points toward Panthers
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20232023-10-08Panthers 2442 Lionsat DETLions
20222022-12-24Lions 2337 Panthersat CARPanthers
20202020-11-22Lions 020 Panthersat CARPanthers
20182018-11-18Panthers 1920 Lionsat DETLions
20172017-10-08Panthers 2724 Lionsat DETPanthers
20142014-09-14Lions 724 Panthersat CARPanthers
20112011-11-20Panthers 3549 Lionsat DETLions
20082008-11-16Lions 2231 Panthersat CARPanthers

Lions leaders 2025 regular season

PassingJared Goff QB #16393/578, 4564 YDS, 34 TD, 8 INT
David Montgomery RB #321/2, 3 YDS, 1 TD
RushingJahmyr Gibbs RB #0243 CAR, 1223 YDS, 13 TD
David Montgomery RB #32158 CAR, 716 YDS, 8 TD
Jared Goff QB #1619 CAR, 45 YDS
ReceivingAmon-Ra St. Brown WR #14117 REC, 1401 YDS, 11 TD
Jameson Williams WR #165 REC, 1117 YDS, 7 TD
Jahmyr Gibbs RB #077 REC, 616 YDS, 5 TD
Sam LaPorta TE #8740 REC, 489 YDS, 3 TD
Defense
TacklesJack Campbell LB #46176
Alex Anzalone LB #3495
Derrick Barnes LB #5578
SacksAidan Hutchinson DE #9714.5
Al-Quadin Muhammad LB #9711
Jack Campbell LB #465
InterceptionsKerby Joseph S #313
D.J. Reed CB #42
Alex Anzalone LB #341

Panthers leaders 2025 regular season

PassingBryce Young QB #9304/478, 3011 YDS, 23 TD, 11 INT
Andy Dalton QB #1425/37, 293 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
RushingRico Dowdle RB #13236 CAR, 1076 YDS, 6 TD
Chuba Hubbard RB #30134 CAR, 511 YDS, 1 TD
Bryce Young QB #954 CAR, 216 YDS, 2 TD
ReceivingTetairoa McMillan WR #470 REC, 1014 YDS, 7 TD
Jalen Coker WR #1833 REC, 394 YDS, 3 TD
Xavier Legette WR #1735 REC, 363 YDS, 3 TD
Rico Dowdle RB #1339 REC, 297 YDS, 1 TD
Defense
TacklesChristian Rozeboom LB #52122
Nick Scott S #21111
Tre'von Moehrig S #7103
SacksDerrick Brown DT #955
Nic Scourton LB #115
DJ Wonnum LB #983
InterceptionsJaycee Horn CB #85
Mike Jackson CB #24
Nick Scott S #211
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.