NFL Week 1 Picks Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers: The two-time AFC champion, Chargers, will kickoff their 2008-2009 NFL regular season at home for the second consecutive year. This game between the Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers is scheduled for Sunday afternoon on FOX, starting at 1 PM PT (4 PM ET) from Qualcomm Stadium in beautiful San Diego, CA.

Odds-makers at BodogLife.com have the San Diego Chargers as (-9) betting odds favorites by just under a TD and a field goal, against the visiting Carolina Panthers (+9).

The Panthers and the Chargers will be meeting for just the 4th time, with Carolina leading the way 2-1. However, those wins date all the way back to 1997 and 2000, as the Bolts got the best of the felines 17-6 at Charlotte in 2004.

The Chargers, currently have a 2-game winning streak in season openers at home, and are 7-3 in their last 10 opening day games overall.

Certainly one of the big question marks for the betting odds favorites in this one is the health, and availability of All-Pro LB Shawne Merriman. Well after Wednesday’s full practice with the team, Merriman put all those questions to rest.

When asked to put a percentage rate on how good his knee felt, the 3-time Pro-Bolwer said: “one hundred and one… is that a possibility?” Approximately 2 weeks ago, Merriman admitted to having torn ligaments in his recently surgically repaired knee, and thus, his season and career became an immediate question mark.

For the Carolina Panthers, they’ll kickoff their 2008-2009 regular season without the services of All-Pro WR Steve Smith. Smith is currently serving a 2-game suspension, issued by the team, after an altercation erupted during a team meeting. The OVER/UNDER in this NFL Week 1 Picks: Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers has been set at a total of 42 total points.

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