Panthers vs. Patriots Betting Guide: Is Tom Brady Still a Safe Bet?

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots Betting Odds

• Spread: Patriots -3.5
• Over/Under: 42
• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Patriots host the Panthers in one of six Preseason Week 3 matchups on Thursday night. Let’s take a look at key storylines for both teams, complete with a pick.

Carolina Panthers

One of the most popular breakout candidates entering the season is Curtis Samuel, who is locked in as a starting wide receiver alongside D.J. Moore in the Panthers' two receiver sets.

We saw Samuel (42 targets) barely work behind Moore (43) over the team's final six games of last season once Devin Funchess was delegated to a backup role. Of course, Christian McCaffrey (53) continued to lead the way over that stretch.

The main reason to be optimistic about Samuel ahead of Thursday night's matchup is his status as the offense's primary field-stretcher. Cam Newton's shoulder is apparently feeling better than ever, and Samuel is the only returning Panthers' receiver who boasted an average target depth of at least 10 yards.

And if Newton's shoulder starts to act up again this season? Well, at least he now has three explosive playmakers at his disposal who are each capable of turning nothing into something in a hurry.

New England Patriots

Ladies and gentlemen: Josh Gordon is BACK.

The Patriots were at risk of entering the season with a group of unfamiliar pass catchers, but they could now feature Julian Edelman (thumb, returned to practice), Demaryius Thomas (Achilles, returned to practice) and Flash Gordon as early as Week 1.

The Pats' defense appears to be in a better state than we've seen in recent years, while Father Time hasn't managed to catch up to Tom Brady just yet. The line has moved from Patriots -4.5 to -3.5, but I'm still inclined to ride with the more complete team at Gillette Stadium.

PICK: Patriots -3.5