'Sunday Night Football' prediction, odds, spread, time: Lions vs. Panthers picks from expert on 22-11 run — SkimNews
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- Detroit Lions (2-1) visit the Carolina Panthers (1-2) on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium, with Detroit installed as a 3.5-point favorite and the over/under set at 50.5.
- Larry Hartstein, a former Covers and The Linemakers lead writer, is on a 22-11-1 run across his last 34 Lions picks, returning $966 per $100 wagered, and is 643-555 ATS all time after going 50-37 ATS (57.5%) in 2025.
- Hartstein's pick is Over 50.5 combined points, noting the Panthers gave up 59 points in their season-opening loss to Chicago while Detroit allowed 41 at Buffalo two weeks ago — and the Over has hit in five of the prior eight meetings.
- Carolina's offense outgained Cleveland by nearly a yard per play and totaled 24 first downs in a 21-18 Week 3 loss, while Detroit beat the Jets 31-24 in Week 3 behind a 31-points-per-game average.
- Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (quad) is among several Carolina inactives, and the team owns the No. 26 scoring defense entering the matchup.
- Both teams are winless at their current venue: the Lions are 0-1 on the road and the Panthers are 0-1 at home, though Detroit is 3-7 ATS over its past 10 games versus Carolina's 5-5 ATS mark.
Why it matters: Hartstein's Over lean is built on two porous defenses — Carolina allowing 27.7 points per game and Detroit giving up 31.7 — making this a high-total matchup where bettors backing the Over are betting against trends that have otherwise kept both units from closing out games. With the Lions 0-1 on the road and the Panthers missing Jaycee Horn in the secondary, the path to a shootout is supported by the season-long scoring splits both ways.
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