The Sports Wire

Panthers at Vikings

Prediction updated
Panthers at Vikings · Week 13 · Sun, Dec 6 · 3:25 PM CT · CBS

Our call: VikingsLean

4 of 4 models favor the Vikings.

On average the models have the Vikings by 4.6 points, a 64% win chance.

Early prediction, updates weekly until kickoff.

Data through Week 5's games (the last played Mon, Oct 12), from nflverse play-by-play; nflverse last published it .

Carolina Panthers (2–2) at Minnesota Vikings (5–0) Sun, Dec 6, 2026 Kickoff 3:25 PM CT on CBS Minnesota

TV listings: ESPN

Every model

ModelSaysWin chance
Consensus (our call)The average of Our model, Elo, SRS and ESPN FPI (whichever are there); the market is left out. This is our call.Vikings by 4.664%
Our model ExperimentalOur ratings from nflverse play-by-play: opponent-adjusted EPA per play, home field and the starting quarterback, frozen on the 2024 season and tested once on 2025. Experimental.Vikings by 1.154%
EloEvery team's Elo rating from every game since 1999 (FiveThirtyEight's method).Vikings by 8.276%
SRSSimple Rating System: points scored minus allowed, adjusted for the schedule, blended with last season early on. Settings chosen by hand, not tuned.Vikings by 4.663%
ESPN FPIESPN's Football Power Index matchup predictor, read from ESPN before kickoff. Read in the week of the game.Available game week—
RecordThe team with the better record this season; equal records go to the home team. A winner only.Vikings—

Our model is experimental. Season so far (79 games, Weeks 1–4 reconstructed): it missed the final margin by 9.8 points on average, the market's margin by 9.8; ours was closer in 38 of 79. Scorecard →

Numbers to know

Starting quarterbacks

Not named yet. The quarterbacks we assume show here in game week: once every earlier game is in, or two days before Week 13's first kickoff.

Injuries

The official Week 13 injury report isn't out yet. It shows here once nflverse has it, in the week of the game.

Latest news

Carolina Panthers

More Panthers news →

Minnesota Vikings

More Vikings news →

Headlines and a line or two from each outlet's own feed, linked to the original; the stories are theirs, not ours.

Matchup

Opponent-adjusted, from nflverse play-by-play, through Week 5 (the games played so far); league rank in brackets.

PanthersVikings
Net EPA per play+0.07 (7th)+0.05 (10th)
Offense, EPA per play+0.08 (7th)−0.08 (29th)
Defense, EPA per play allowed (lower is better)+0.01 (19th)−0.13 (1st)
Passing offense, EPA per dropback+0.19 (4th)−0.02 (25th)
Rushing offense, EPA per run−0.12 (21st)−0.18 (28th)
Offense success rate44% (15th)36% (32nd)

Last 5 meetings

The Vikings won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

Oct 1, 2023Week 4, 2023Vikings 21, Panthers 13at Carolina
Oct 17, 2021Week 6, 2021Vikings 34, Panthers 28at Carolina
Nov 29, 2020Week 12, 2020Vikings 28, Panthers 27at Minnesota
Dec 10, 2017Week 14, 2017Panthers 31, Vikings 24at Carolina
Sep 25, 2016Week 3, 2016Vikings 22, Panthers 10at Carolina