Carolina's On Your Betting Minds After Trade for Baker Mayfield

The Panthers traded for former Cleveland Brown and No. 1 overall pick (2018) Baker Mayfield on Wednesday for a conditional 2024 pick.

Mayfield is only 27 so perhaps he has a few good years left in him after a much-needed change of scenery.

Betting fans seem slightly more optimistic about the Panthers' future and playoff chances in 2022.

Carolina has won only five games in each of the past two seasons with Matt Ruhle at the helm and yet its win total, according to DraftKings, is now at 6.5 (so, 7).

The odds of the Panthers making the playoffs have dropped from +500 to +400.   

Their odds of winning the NFC South have gone from +1200 to +1000.

Clearly, many bettors are digging the deal.

Why? Well, if Mayfield can return to his 2020 form in Cleveland (4,030 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions) and stud running back Christian McCaffrey can stay healthy and the Panthers' defense (ranked No. 2 in yardage allowed last season) remains stout, then, yeah maybe the playoffs are realistic.

But I’m not buying it.

Nor should you.

This will be Mayfield’s fifth season in the NFL and quarterbacks rarely make a leap that many years in. He’s probably hit his ceiling.

Hell, who knows, but this year’s third-round draft pick, rookie Matt Corral out of Mississippi, might be the starting quarterback sometime this season. Not Mayfield and not Sam Darnold, who was drafted No. 3 overall the same year Mayfield went No. 1.

Possible.

Bottom line is, the Panthers, by most accounts. are favored to win just two of their 17 games this season.

Doesn’t exactly scream a 7-win year does it?

No. So here’s the best bet because five or six wins sounds about right.

Over/under regular season wins: UNDER 6.5 (-125).