Carolina (5-12) at Jacksonville (4-13)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox

BetMGM NFL odds: Jaguars by 3 1/2.

Series record: Tied 4-4.

Last meeting: Jaguars shut out Panthers 26-0 on Dec. 31, 2023, in Jacksonville.

Panthers offense: overall (29), rush (18), pass (30), scoring (23).

Panthers defense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (23), scoring (32).

Jaguars offense: overall (25), rush (26), pass (24), scoring (26).

Jaguars defense: overall (31), rush (25), pass (32), scoring (T29).

Turnover differential: Panthers minus-5; Jaguars minus-15.

Panthers player to watch

Running back Chuba Hubbard is expected to be the focal point of the Panthers offense. Hubbard ran for a career-high 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns last season while averaging 4.8 yards per carry for a team that was behind in most games last season. He has also developed into an effective receiver, catching 43 passes for 171 yards and a TD. Carolina has added Rico Dowdle and rookie Trevor Etienne to the mix, but Hubbard is the No. 1 back in Carolina. All five starters return from last year’s offensive line, and the running game is considered the strength of the team.

Jaguars player to watch

Josh Hines-Allen had three sacks in the 2023 meeting between Carolina and Jacksonville. He needs 2 1/2 sacks to break the franchise record (55) set by Tony Brackens in 2003. Hines-Allen has 53 sacks over seven seasons, including 17 1/2 in 2023. He finished with eight last season and missed the season finale while dealing with his son’s cancer diagnosis. His 7-year-old son Wesley is now in remission and rang the bell last month at Nemours Children’s Health in Jacksonville.

Key matchup

Jaguars receiver Travis Hunter vs. Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. Hunter comes in with a ton of expectations as a two-way player, but Jacksonville’s early plans are to play him mostly at wide receiver. If that becomes a reality, he could be matched up against Horn, who signed a four-year, $100 million contract this past offseason and is considered Carolina’s shutdown cornerback. Horn won’t be afraid to get physical with Hunter at the line of scrimmage.

Key injuries

Panthers: Carolina is in wait-and-see mode when it comes to starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu, who had an emergency appendectomy last week. Canales said Ekwonu will work out Friday before the team determines his status. If the Charlotte native and 2022 first-round draft pick can’t play, then Yosh Nijman or Brady Christensen will get the nod. Also, guard Robert Hunt, the anchor of the O-line, tweaked a foot in practice Wednesday.

Jaguars: Cornerback Montaric Brown (ankle) and rookie offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (knee) won’t play and are considered week to week. Swing tackle Cole Van Lanen (shoulder) is hoping to be able to go.

Series notes

The Jaguars and Panthers came into the NFL together as expansion teams in 1995. They first played in the preseason Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, that year. It was a bit of a grudge match at the time, and the Panthers emerged with a win. Since then, the teams have split eight regular-season matchups. The Panthers have been to two Super Bowls; the Jaguars none.

Stats and stuff

The Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017 and have not won a playoff game since reaching the Super Bowl in 2015. … Dave Canales is in his second season as head coach. He went 5-12 last year. … Carolina was 2-6 on the road last season. … Bryce Young is 6-22 as an NFL starting quarterback. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama was benched two games into the 2024 season by Canales but regained the starting job midway through the season and showed promise down the stretch. He accounted for 10 TDs in the final three games, five of those in the season finale against Atlanta. … The Panthers traded WR Adam Thielen, leaving Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan as their starters. Legette was a first-round pick in 2024, and McMillan was selected in Round 1 this year. Veteran WR Hunter Renfrow is also expected to see playing time with Jalen Coker starting the season on injured reserve. … The Panthers are excited to get DE Derrick Brown back after allowing the most yards rushing in the league in 2024. Brown missed 16 games last season with a knee injury after setting an NFL record for tackles by a defensive lineman with 103 in 2023. … The Panthers have a new kicker in rookie Ryan Fitzgerald and punter in Sam Martin. … The Jaguars are entering a new era, with first-time head coach Liam Coen, first-time general manager James Gladstone and first-time executive vice president Tony Boselli. The team also has first-time offensive and defensive coordinators. … QB Trevor Lawrence returns after missing seven of the final eight games last season. He hasn’t played a regular-season game since sustaining a concussion against Houston. He had season-ending shoulder surgery weeks after the illegal hit. Lawrence is learning his third offense in five years, hardly the kind of stability that leads to consistency. … Jacksonville brought in two new offensive linemen, C Robert Hainsey and RG Patrick Mekari, to beef up the ground game and better protect Lawrence. The team also gave Lawrence two new WRs, speedster Dyami Brown and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Hunter. … Jacksonville expects to make a big jump defensively, especially in the secondary with the addition of S Eric Murray and CB Jourdan Lewis.

Fantasy tip

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard must be started. Jacksonville expects to use a running back-by-committee approach, with Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and rookie Bhayshul Tuten all getting carries.

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