Lions vs Panthers Week 4 2026: Date, Time, TV, Injuries & Everything You Need to Know

After bouncing back from a Thursday night loss in Buffalo with a tight win over the Jets, the Detroit Lions head to Charlotte for a Sunday Night Football date with a banged-up Carolina Panthers team. Here's everything you need to know before kickoff.

When and where

• Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
• Kickoff: 8:20 PM ET (1:20 AM UK time, into Monday 5 October)
• Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
• TV: NBC and Peacock (US). In the UK, the game is on NFL Game Pass on DAZN.

Bank of America Stadium is open-air, and the forecast isn't kind. As of Friday, Sunday looks cool (a high around 18°C / 64°F) with a 75% chance of rain, so keep an eye on conditions as the weekend goes on.

The line

Detroit is a road favourite at -3.5, with the total sitting at 50.5 (some books have it at 51.5). The spread opened at Lions -2.5, and the moneyline is roughly Lions -180 to -195. The Over has hit in all three Lions games this season, and Detroit is 0-2-1 against the spread so far.

How we got here

The Lions are 2-1; the Panthers are 1-2.

• Detroit survived the Jets. The Lions beat New York 31-24 at Ford Field, scoring 31 points for the third straight week. Jahmyr Gibbs was the star, scoring three touchdowns, including an 11-yard catch with 2:25 left to win it. Jared Goff finished 25 of 32 for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and has now thrown a touchdown pass in 26 straight games. The Lions blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead before closing it out, and the defense, which ranks in the bottom 10 in several categories, is still a concern. On the plus side, DJ Wonnum had two sacks.
• Carolina has been a rollercoaster. The Panthers opened with a 59-37 loss to the Bears, a franchise record for points allowed. They then thrashed the Falcons 34-3, with Bryce Young throwing for three touchdowns and Devin Lloyd adding a pick-six. Last week they lost 21-18 at Cleveland after a helmet-to-helmet penalty on Bobby Okereke wiped out an end-zone interception that could have sealed the win.
• A rare spotlight. This is Carolina's first Sunday Night Football game in a decade.

Injuries to watch

Detroit:

• G Ben Bartch (foot) hasn't practised all week and looks unlikely to play. He missed last week's game too.
• CB D.J. Reed (rib) was limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
• EDGE DJ Wonnum (back) sat out Wednesday but was back at full practice on Thursday.
• It's a much shorter list than a week ago. Blake Miller, Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge are all off the report.

Carolina:

• Both starting cornerbacks are done for now. Jaycee Horn (reportedly a torn quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) were placed on injured reserve. Akayleb Evans and rookie Will Lee III are expected to start, with Chau Smith-Wade in the slot.
• QB Bryce Young is on the report with a knee issue after tweaking his lower leg against the Browns, but he was a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday and the team expects him to play.
• WR Xavier Legette (knee) and G Damien Lewis (elbow) have not practised all week. WR Jalen Coker (quad) was limited on Thursday, and T Monroe Freeling (concussion) is also working his way back.
• TE Darren Waller, RB Chuba Hubbard, LB Devin Lloyd (calf) and S Nick Scott (ribs) were all full participants on Thursday.
• Backup RB Jonathon Brooks is on injured reserve, and edge rusher Nic Scourton was lost for the season in training camp.

The basics on Carolina

Dave Canales' Panthers won the NFC South last season and pushed the Rams to the brink in the Wild Card round. Young is playing with real confidence, with Tetairoa McMillan, Coker and Waller giving him plenty to throw to, and Hubbard leading the ground game. Even after the 1-2 start, they're level with the Saints and Falcons at the top of the division, and they have a bye next week.

The defense is the problem. Now without Horn and Jackson, it faces Goff, Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown (five touchdowns in three games). Young has also faced the third-highest pressure rate in the league, while Detroit blitzes at the third-highest clip. That's the matchup to watch.

What's next

Check back for our closer look at this matchup, including how Detroit's offense attacks a depleted Carolina secondary, whether Young gets time against the Lions' pass rush, and our score prediction for Sunday night.