With the No. 1 overall pick quarterback going through some early struggles and a slow start to a once-proud playoff contender, it has been a woeful start for the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Frank Reich could be hitting the franchise record books for the wrong reasons.
A sports-loving state eagerly awaiting the start of legal North Carolina sportsbooks has been disheartened enduring this 1-7 Panthers team. Carolina visits the Chicago Bears (2-7) in a Thursday night matchup.
Reich is on his way to having the worst first season of any Panthers head coach. BetCarolina.com – your source for NC sports betting apps – utilized Pro-Football-Reference.com to compare the first seasons of every Panthers coach.
First-Year Records of Carolina Panthers Coaches
MORE: NFL Betting Lines & Odds
First Year Never Easy with Panthers
Only one of the previous five coaches in franchise history had a .500 record or better during his first year at the helm in Charlotte. That would be George Seifert, who posted an 8-8 record in 1999 and subsequently went 8-24 over his last two seasons with the Panthers.
Current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule had the worst first year among all Carolina head coaches at 5-11 in 2020. His three-year stint produced an 11-27 (.289) record.
This season, five of the seven losses have come by 14 points or less. The team’s lone victory is a 15-13 home triumph over the Houston Texans on Oct. 29. You can imagine what that means for the Panthers’ playoff chances.
Carolina is coming off an uninspiring 27-13 home defeat last Sunday at the hands of Reich’s former employer, the Indianapolis Colts. Reich went 40-33-1 over four-plus seasons with the Colts.
ESPN Bet Odds for Panthers
As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN Bet has the Panthers as 3.5-point and +150 moneyline underdogs at Chicago (-200), with the game's over/under total at 38.5 points. You will want to be armed with an ESPN Bet North Carolina promo code when online betting launches next year.
Carolina is tied for last to win the Super Bowl at +100000 with the Bears, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. Keep an eye out on this site for the best NC sportsbook promos.
