Wk 4 · 2026
Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers — Sun, Oct 4
Sun, Oct 4 ·
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
· NBC FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. 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.
at
8:20pET
DET -4.5 · total 52.5 DraftKings opened +3 · 1.5 toward DET
Ratings differential DET by 0.2
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
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.
Lions form
W 45-21at ARIL 26-32at CARW 31-24vs NYJL 31-41at BUFW 31-30vs NO
2026 season
Panthers form
W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season
Lions this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread1-3-1 · 25% (5 games)
Over / under5-0 · 100% (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 | Lions | Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Saints NFC | vs W 31-30 preview | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview |
| Packers NFC | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Vikings NFC | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview |
| Buccaneers NFC | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| Bears NFC | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview | vs L 37-59 preview |
| Falcons NFC | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview | at W 34-3 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Panthers leads 6–3 · Panthers won the last one
9 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
4.0 points toward Panthers
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-10-04 | Lions 26 — 32 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2023 | 2023-10-08 | Panthers 24 — 42 Lions | at DET | Lions |
| 2022 | 2022-12-24 | Lions 23 — 37 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2020 | 2020-11-22 | Lions 0 — 20 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2018 | 2018-11-18 | Panthers 19 — 20 Lions | at DET | Lions |
| 2017 | 2017-10-08 | Panthers 27 — 24 Lions | at DET | Panthers |
| 2014 | 2014-09-14 | Lions 7 — 24 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2011 | 2011-11-20 | Panthers 35 — 49 Lions | at DET | Lions |
| 2008 | 2008-11-16 | Lions 22 — 31 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
Lions leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Jared Goff QB #16 | 109/161, 1214 YDS, 9 TD |
| Rushing | Jahmyr Gibbs RB #0 | 80 CAR, 353 YDS, 5 TD |
| Sione Vaki RB #33 | 9 CAR, 40 YDS | |
| Jared Goff QB #16 | 9 CAR, 15 YDS | |
| Receiving | Amon-Ra St. Brown WR #14 | 31 REC, 303 YDS, 5 TD |
| Jameson Williams WR #1 | 16 REC, 229 YDS | |
| Sam LaPorta TE #87 | 22 REC, 228 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Jahmyr Gibbs RB #0 | 22 REC, 187 YDS, 2 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Jack Campbell LB #46 | 33 |
| D.J. Reed CB #4 | 30 | |
| Chuck Clark S #36 | 28 | |
| Sacks | Aidan Hutchinson DE #97 | 3.5 |
| DJ Wonnum LB #98 | 3 | |
| Alim McNeill DT #54 | 3 | |
| Interceptions | Chuck Clark S #36 | 1 |
| Derrick Barnes LB #55 | 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.