Carolina's 2022 season outlook changed noticeably in early-July when they acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield from the Browns for a 2024 conditional draft pick. The former No. 1 overall pick will battle in training camp with the player selected two picks after him, Sam Darnold, for the starting job -- though Mayfield seems to have the inside track. If he were to play at an above-average level in a contract year and star running back Christian McCaffrey can remain healthy, the Panthers have a strong chance to contend for second place in the NFC South behind Tampa Bay.

The Panthers' odds shifted dramatically immediately following the Mayfield trade as oddsmakers believe the former Cleveland QB gives them a better chance to win. With Matt Rhule likely coaching for his job in 2022, expect Carolina to be aggressive with its game planning on both sides of the ball. 

The schedule starts out like a dream in September and early October with a Week 1 home game against Mayfield's former team, then three more winnable games against the Giants, Saints, and Cardinals. Anything short of a 3-1 start might be bad news considering in four of the next five weeks, the Panthers play both Super Bowl LVI representatives, the Rams and Bengals, plus the NFC runner-up 49ers and Super Bowl LV champions, Tom Brady's Buccaneers.

More NFL futures: SportsLine Projection Model's best bets

Below, you'll find the Carolina Panthers 2022 schedule, win total and more futures odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by picks from top SportsLine NFL analysts Larry Hartstein, R.J. White and Alex Selesnick. You'll also find three bets favored by the SportsLine Projection Model.

Entering the 2022 NFL season, Larry is 427-344 all-time on NFL sides (plus $3,764 for $100 players), including 394-330 ATS. He went 68-50 ATS (58 percent) and 8-3 on moneyline plays last season for a profit of $1,552. Over the past seven years, R.J.'s SuperContest picks are 329-250-21 (56.8 percent) and he consistently crushes the NFL: He went 445-378-24 on ATS picks from 2017-21, returning $2,542 to $100 players as SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in against the spread picks. From Week 10 onward, Carolina only faces two 2021 playoff teams, Pittsburgh (Week 15) and Tampa Bay (Week 17) but even so, their chances at making a playoff run this season seem to be far-fetched. Selesnick (aka PropStarz) specializes in MLB, NFL and NBA prop betting, where he implements a combination of research, statistical analysis and mathematical modeling to deliver profitable long-term results.

Carolina Panthers 2022 schedule

Week 1: vs. Cleveland
Week 2: at New York Giants
Week 3: vs. New Orleans
Week 4: vs. Arizona
Week 5: vs. San Francisco
Week 6: at Los Angeles Rams
Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay
Week 8: at Atlanta
Week 9: at Cincinnati
Week 10: vs. Atlanta (THU)
Week 11: at Baltimore
Week 12: vs. Denver
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: at Seattle
Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh
Week 16: vs. Detroit (SAT)
Week 17: at Tampa Bay
Week 18: at New Orleans

Carolina Panthers 2022 futures odds

Win Total Over: 6.5 (+100)
Win Total Under: 6.5 (-120)

Make Playoffs: +400
Miss Playoffs: -550

Win Division: +1000
Win Conference: +5000
Win Super Bowl: +10000

So will the Panthers go over or under their win total for the 2022 season? And what other futures bets are worth making? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Larry Hartstein and R.J. White's Carolina Panthers 2022 futures picks, all from the acclaimed experts who have crushed the NFL for years!