Josh Jacobs and Green Bay’s rushing attack face a tested Panthers run defense

Josh Jacobs and Green Bay’s rushing attack get a real test Thursday night against a Panthers defense that just allowed 258 yards on the ground to Tampa Bay, in a Week 8 matchup at Lambeau Field where the Packers (4-3) are favored over Carolina (3-3) on a short week for both teams.

Green Bay is still working through Jacobs’ uneven return from a six-game absence, and Dimers’ model likes this matchup enough to make him one of the more attractive touchdown prop bets on the board, as part of a broader 64% win probability for the Packers. Micah Parsons remains out as he continues rehabbing a December ACL rupture, and Carolina arrives off a 43-13 blowout at Tampa Bay trying to avoid a second straight lopsided loss.

Jacobs tests a defense that just got gashed

Jacobs returned in Week 7 after six games on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from a May arrest and he remains under league investigation with possible suspension still on the table. On the field, he’s had a quiet reentry: 36 yards on 11 carries against Detroit, with Green Bay still ranked last in the NFL in rushing at 59.9 yards per game.

Thursday Night Football offers a better matchup.

Carolina just gave up 258 rushing yards to Tampa Bay, and Dimers projects Jacobs for 60.2 yards with a 53.1% anytime touchdown probability, tops among anyone in the game. Chuba Hubbard isn’t far behind for Carolina, projected for 70.4 yards and a 49.8% anytime touchdown probability of his own.

In the first-touchdown-scorer market, Jacobs (12.9%) narrowly edges Hubbard (11.9%) as the most likely player to find the end zone first. See Dimers’ NFL predictions for how the rest of the Week 8 slate shapes up.

Parsons watch continues

Without Parsons, Green Bay’s pass rush still runs through Lukas Van Ness, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, and Keisean Nixon, who’s tied for that team lead while adding six passes defensed and an interception. Carolina’s banged-up offensive line, with Taylor Moton on injured reserve and Monroe Freeling starting at right tackle, gives that duo a real opening. That defensive mismatch is part of why Green Bay opened as a 3.5-point favorite; compare the latest Packers-Panthers lines for how the number has moved since.

Love’s stretch meets a battered line

Jordan Love has thrown for at least 274 yards in three straight games and ranks fourth in the NFL at 279.7 yards per game, with Dimers projecting 262 yards Thursday. He’ll work behind a line missing Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk, who landed on injured reserve, with practice-squad call-up Mekhi Becton now in the mix. Christian Watson remains his top weapon, projected for 73.5 yards and a 43.3% anytime touchdown probability, while Matthew Golden, who was a DNP on Tuesday with shoulder and foot issues, is projected for 64.9 yards if he’s full go. Tucker Kraft rounds out the Green Bay passing attack at a projected 47.6 yards and a 29.7% touchdown probability. See the full anytime touchdown scorer odds for both rosters before kickoff.

A short week, a long history of close games

Eight of the last nine meetings between these two franchises have been decided by single digits, including last year’s finish on a walk-off field goal, and Carolina is trying to avoid a second straight lopsided loss on three days’ rest.

Bryce Young is projected for 255 passing yards, leaning on Tetairoa McMillan (74.7 projected yards, 30.8% touchdown probability) and Jalen Coker, whose 33.8% touchdown probability is the highest on either roster among pure receivers. Darren Waller and Tommy Tremble round out a tight end group that’s drawn real target share all season.

For the full slate of Thursday’s matchups, Dimers Pro unlocks unlimited player projections for every name on both rosters, not just the names above, plus unlimited best bets and props across the rest of the week. You can cancel or pause anytime.

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