Sun, Dec 27 at 12:00 AM ET · Acrisure Stadium
Expected score: CAR 18.7 – PIT 27.5
Total anchored to the league-wide baseline of 46.2 points — a shared baseline, not a matchup-specific forecast.
Home-field adjustment included (+65 Elo rating points)
Fair odds (display only): CAR 3.08 · PIT 1.48
Team ratings (Elo): CAR 1475.5 vs PIT 1537.9. 393 games trained (Oct 30).
Model: nfl-elo-v2 — Elo ratings trained on real ESPN results (2025 regular+postseason and 2026 regular season to date), chronological replay, K=20, home advantage = 65 Elo rating points, applied only at true home venues: games the feed flags neutral-site get no home bonus, in training and in prediction. Totals baseline is the mean total points of the training games (measured, not assumed). Score-model spread/total probabilities use the engine's bivariate-normal assumptions (score std 13.5, correlation 0.3) — documented approximations, not measured NFL parameters. No backtest against closing lines exists; treat all outputs as experimental uncertain forecasts.
What the win probability uses: Elo ratings only, plus a home-field adjustment of 65 Elo rating points at true home venues (no adjustment at feed-flagged neutral sites).
Contextual research (displayed, not in the calculation): Contextual research only — form, rest, injuries, head-to-head, weather, and travel do not change the win probability above.
Totals: Expected scores are centered on a shared league-wide totals baseline of 46.2 points (the mean total of the training games) — a baseline, not a matchup-specific forecast.
Score-distribution assumptions: Spread/total probabilities assume team scores are bivariate normal (score std 13.5, correlation 0.3) — documented approximations, not measured NFL parameters.
Validation status: No backtest against closing lines exists. Treat all outputs as experimental uncertain forecasts.
Data used
CAR (3-4) — 58 days rest
Last 5: 2-3 (2 straight losses)
| Oct 29, 2026 | GB | L | 19-27 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | TB | L | 13-43 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | PHI | W | 25-14 |
| Oct 4, 2026 | DET | W | 32-26 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | CLE | L | 18-21 |
PIT (5-2) — 62 days rest
Last 5: 4-1 (3 straight wins)
| Oct 25, 2026 | NO | W | 16-10 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | TB | W | 26-19 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | IND | W | 34-22 |
| Oct 1, 2026 | CLE | L | 24-27 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | CIN | W | 30-27 |
Coverage: 2024-2026 regular+postseason schedules (ESPN)
| Date | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| No meetings in coverage period | ||
Week 8 report — availability for Week 16 unknown. These designations were published for Week 8's games. They are the latest available report, kept as dated context; they do not say who will be available in Week 16.
CAR
| Corey Bullock | Questionable | Bullock (quadriceps) exited Thursday's 27-19 loss to Green Bay and did not return, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports. |
| Will Lee III | Questionable | Lee is dealing with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to return to Thursday's Week 8 matchup against Green Bay, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. |
| Akayleb Evans | Injured Reserve | Evans (triceps) was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports. |
| Bobby Brown III | Out | Brown (hand) is inactive for Thursday night's matchup against the Packers, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website reports. |
| Haynes King | Out | King (coach's decision) is inactive but operating as the Panthers' emergency No. 3 quarterback against the Packers on Thursday night, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports. |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | Out | Sanders (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday night's matchup with Green Bay, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports. |
| AJ Dillon | Out | Dillon (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday night's contest against the Packers, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports. |
| Torricelli Simpkins III | Out | Simpkins (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers. |
| Damien Lewis | Out | Lewis (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers. |
| Jaelan Phillips | Out | Phillips (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Thursday night's game against the Packers. |
| Taylor Moton | Injured Reserve | The Panthers placed Moton (lower leg) on injured reserve Monday. |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | Active | Fitzgerald made both field-goal attempts and converted his only extra-point try in Thursday's 27-19 loss to Green Bay. |
| Jalen Coker | Active | Coker secured two of five targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers' 27-19 loss to the Packers on Thursday. He also lost a fumble. |
| Bryce Young | Active | Young completed 23 of 41 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Panthers' 27-19 loss to the Packers on Thursday. |
| Chuba Hubbard | Active | Hubbard rushed 22 times for 81 yards and a touchdown and brought in seven of eight targets for 38 yards in the Panthers' 27-19 loss to the Packers on Thursday. |
| Tetairoa McMillan | Active | McMillan brought in six of 11 targets for 57 yards in the Panthers' 27-19 loss to the Packers on Thursday. |
| Devin Lloyd | Active | Lloyd posted four tackles in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers. |
| Bobby Okereke | Active | Okereke tallied 10 tackles (seven solo) and a defensed pass in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay. |
| John Metchie III | Active | Metchie caught two passes for 20 yards during Sunday's 43-13 defeat versus the Buccaneers. |
| Mitchell Evans | Active | Evans gathered in both targets for 39 yards during Sunday's 43-13 loss versus Tampa Bay. |
| Trevor Etienne | Active | Etienne posted six carries for eight yards, reeled in both targets for 17 yards and compiled 69 kickoff-return yards during Sunday's 43-13 defeat to the Buccaneers. |
| Tommy Tremble | Active | Tremble hauled in one of two targets for eight yards during Sunday's 43-13 loss to the Buccaneers. |
| TeRah Edwards | Active | |
| Sam Hecht | Active | |
| Stone Forsythe | Active |
PIT
| Ben Skowronek | Questionable | Skowronek (calf) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports. |
| Alex Highsmith | Questionable | questionable |
| Doneiko Slaughter | Questionable | questionable |
| Brandin Echols | Questionable | questionable |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | Injured Reserve | Joseph-Day (triceps) was placed on injured reserve by the Steelers on Thursday, Teresa Varley of the team's official website reports. |
| Jalen Ramsey | Active | |
| Payton Wilson | Active | Wilson totaled six tackles (three solo) and an interception during Pittsburgh's win over the Saints on Sunday. |
| Patrick Queen | Active | Queen compiled 10 tackles (seven solo), including 1.0 sacks, during Pittsburgh's win over the Saints on Sunday. |
| Germie Bernard | Active | Bernard caught three of five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints. |
| Brandon Smith | Active | Smith reverted to the Steelers' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log. |
| Darnell Washington | Active | Washington caught his lone target for a four-yard touchdown in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris. |
| Will Howard | Active | |
| Drew Allar | Active | |
| Eli Heidenreich | Active | |
| Terell Smith | Active | |
| Pat Freiermuth | Active | Freiermuth caught two of four targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints. |
| Chris Boswell | Active | Boswell made each of his three field-goal attempts and his lone extra-point try in a 16-10 victory over the Saints on Sunday in Paris. |
| DK Metcalf | Active | Metcalf two of six targets for 56 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints. |
| Rico Dowdle | Active | Dowdle carried the ball nine times for 41 yards and caught all six of his targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over New Orleans. |
| Aaron Rodgers | Active | Rodgers completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 passes and a touchdown in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints. He added six yards on three carries. |
| Jaylen Warren | Active | Warren carried the ball 18 times for 101 yards and caught three of four targets for 36 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Saints. |
| DeShon Elliott | Active | Elliott (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Saints in Paris. |
| Mason Rudolph | Active | Rudolph is active for Sunday's game against the Saints in Paris, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports. |
| T.J. Watt | Active | Watt (calf) practiced fully Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Saints. |
| Jaquan Brisker | Active | Brisker posted seven tackles (four solo) during the Steelers' 26-19 overtime win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. |
Labels: Out = confirmed unavailable; Doubtful = projected unavailable; Questionable = projected uncertain.
44.6°F, wind 8.3 mph, precip — mm (next 1h),
Forecast for Sun, Nov 8 at 7:00 PM ET (updated Oct 30). Weather data: MET Norway (api.met.no), CC BY 4.0 / NLOD 2.0
Travel (CAR): ~364 miles, no time-zone change