Raiders @ Panthers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Las Vegas Raiders

@ Carolina Panthers

Current odds:

Las Vegas Raiders: (-150)

Carolina Panthers: (+130)

• The line for this game is Raiders by 3 points.

• The Panthers went 5-11 last season, losing their final eight games. By then, Ron Rivera had been removed as coach. Rhule became the fifth head coach in franchise history, leaving his college position at Baylor to give it a try in the NFL. Among the veterans still around Carolina is running back Christian McCaffrey, who signed a four-year extension in the offseason after clearing 1,000 yards in both receiving and rushing. McCaffrey was third in the NFL in rushing (1,387) and the 24-year-old had 19 total touchdowns. He will be a dynamic fit in the offense of new coordinator Joe Brady, who jumped to the NFL from LSU.

• Bridgewater said Rhule has created good vibes with the Panthers despite learning many things on the fly with a restructured offseason and without preseason games. He excelled as a New Orleans fill-in for injured Drew Brees last season. Now, he takes the spot once held by Cam Newton, who was let go after nine seasons with the Panthers.

• The game will be played without fans in the stadium because of state restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

• The Raiders were 7-9 last year in their second season since Jon Gruden returned to coach the team. Eighteen players on the 53-man roster weren’t on the active roster at any point last season. Aside from veteran quarterback Derek Carr, the Raiders are ready to unleash what they hope will soon be their dominant running back in second-year star Josh Jacobs. Jacobs rushed for 1,150 yards as a rookie behind a rugged offensive line despite nagging injuries late in the season. The Raiders are expecting much more of an impact from a revamped receiving core. Gruden said it’s important that the receiving corps are in sync after eight different players started at flanker spots last year. The Raiders didn’t have any player miss the entire practice based on an injury at mid-week.

• Rhule said the Panthers have a slight advantage without disclosing a lot about the team’s schemes with a new staff. Carolina’s lone injury concern going into the first game is left guard Dennis Daley, who is questionable with an ankle injury.

• The Panthers’ overhaul also includes the need to replace linebacker Luke Kuechly, a standout who retired in what some observers considered near the prime of his career. That leaves Carolina with the starting linebacker corps of Shaq Thompson, Tahir Whitehead and Jermaine Carter Jr. Whitehead played the past two seasons for the Raiders.