The Green Bay Packers host the Carolina Panthers at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday Night Football to open Week 8, with the Packers favored by 3.5 points and an over/under of 47. Daily fantasy sports lineups are expected to focus heavily on the passing games, though neither Jordan Love nor Bryce Young threw a touchdown when the teams met a year ago.
Key Players and Recent Form
Green Bay's top pass catchers include Christian Watson, Tetairoa McMillan, Tucker Kraft, and Matthew Golden, who is active despite being listed as questionable. Running back Josh Jacobs returned last Sunday, posting 91 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. For Carolina, Chuba Hubbard has scored six touchdowns in six games, while backup running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Trevor Etienne each recorded eight touches last week.
McClure's Top DFS Picks
SportsLine daily fantasy expert Mike McClure, a professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings, has identified his top picks for the matchup. McClure's projection model simulates every snap, accounting for matchups, statistical trends, and injuries.
One of McClure's top selections is Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who has an over/under of 264.5 passing yards. The 28-year-old has thrown multiple touchdowns in every game this season, averaging 279.7 passing yards per game (sixth in the league). Love owns a 14:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his last six Thursday games. Carolina enters with the No. 27 scoring defense, while Green Bay ranks No. 32 in rushing offense, suggesting the Packers will rely on Love's arm.
McClure is also building around Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker, who averages 77.5 receiving yards in the four games he has started and finished this season, with two touchdowns. The 6-foot-3 receiver has emerged as a red-zone target for Young, recording as many catches inside the 20-yard line as McMillan and Darren Waller combined. Green Bay allows the third-most receptions per game to wide receivers (14.0) and has seen five different wideouts gain at least 70 yards or score a touchdown over the last two games.
McClure has additionally identified an undervalued player who could produce significant numbers on Thursday night, noting that this pick could be the difference between winning tournaments and cash games or coming away empty-handed.
