The 2022 NFL season is finally here and the Week 1 schedule is chock full of exciting showdowns. One upcoming thing that fans are dying to see is Baker Mayfield leading the Carolina Panthers against the team that quickly moved on from him, the Cleveland Browns.
T he Panthers weren't much fun to watch last year, but that should be different now with a competent quarterback under center. Additionally, Mayfield has the opportunity to play with a healthy Christian McCaffrey in the backfield, as well as standout wideouts DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson.
On the other hand, the Browns are a bit shorthanded with Deshaun Watson serving his 11-game suspension. Jacoby Brissett gets the start at quarterback, so it'll be interesting to see if he can help Cleveland pull off the upset on the road.
Here's what projection models and experts across the industry have to say about the Browns vs Panthers Week 1 matchup.
Brow ns vs Panthers Projections
ESPN FPI:'Panthers (59.4%)
numberFire:'Browns (55.0%)
FiveThirtyEight:'Panthers (57%)
Betting Favorite:'Panthers (-1.5)
Projected Winner:'Panthers (3), Browns (1)
Browns vs Panthers Expert Picks
ESPN Experts:'Panthers (7), Browns (2)
Sports Illustrated Experts
CBS Sports Experts:'Panthers (5), Browns (3)
Expert Totals:'Panthers (16), Browns (6)
The Browns might be a solid team, but the lack of Watson has led to the Panthers being a pick by 72.7% of experts. In other words, the expert predictions line up quite well with what oddsmakers are projecting.
The Browns' best chance of winning comes in at 55% on , however, that's an anomaly compared to other projections.
With a lot to prove to his former team, all signs point to Mayfield leading the Panthers to a victory on Sunday afternoon.