Panthers vs. Texans NFL injury report, odds, betting trends: Sam Darnold biggest favorite of career, but Carolina has been terrible Thursday wager

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold looks reborn this season away from the New York Jets – and specifically coach Adam Gase – as the Panthers are off to a surprising 2-0 start. They are 8-point favorites to kick off Week 3 on Thursday night at the Houston Texans, marking the largest Donald has been favored in his NFL career. However, no team has been a worse bet over the years on Thursday nights than Carolina. Click here for model picks. 

Because Darnold played on so many wretched Jets teams since being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, perhaps it's not a shock to learn the biggest he was previously favored was -5 against the Miami Dolphins in 2019. New York won by a point. This is only the fourth time in Panthers history they are road favorites of at least seven points, and each of the previous three happened in Week 10 or later.

Since Thursday Night Football began in 2006, Carolina is 2-9 straight up in that game and 1-10 against the spread, both the worst marks in the league. The Panthers' lone cover was in 2013 at Tampa Bay. Darnold is 0-3 SU & ATS all-time on Thursday Night Football.

The Panthers will be without guard Pat Elflein for Thursday and a few more games at least as he was placed on injured reserve this week. Backup Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will miss his first game of the year due to an ankle injury.

It will be the NFL starting debut of Texans third-round rookie QB Davis Mills with Tyrod Taylor perhaps missing a month due to a hamstring injury. He's on injured reserve. The three other rookie QBs all lost their debut this season and failed to cover – all in Week 1. A fifth rookie QB, Chicago's Justin Fields, will make his starting debut on Sunday. Jeff Driskel will back up Mills as Deshaun Watson remains inactive.

Mills will be missing two of the team's top wideouts in Danny Amendola (out 2-3 weeks) and rookie Nico Collins (landed on IR). Cornerback Terrance Mitchell will miss Thursday's game and safety Justin Reid is questionable. Reid has eight tackles and two picks in the early going so that loss would be significant.

While Houston is 2-0 ATS this season and has covered four straight as a dog, the Texans have lost 16 straight games straight up as at least a touchdown underdog. Their last such win was at +10 in 2015 in Cincinnati.

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