Adam Thielen Heavy Underdog to Reach 1,000 Receiving Yards Again in 2024

Adam Thielen bounced back in a major way in 2023, surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time since 2018.

Will the veteran Panthers wide receiver do it again in 2024? The odds put out by DraftKings have labeled it a major longshot. 

Thielen is +500 to hit 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, which is an implied probability of 16.7%.

The sportsbook believes that advancing age and potential missed games will trump any bump Thielen gets from the expected improvement of Bryce Young in Year 2 with the Panthers.

Thielen surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in Game No. 16 last year and finished with 103 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns.

He has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards three times in 10 professional seasons, but will be 34 years old in August. Thielen had a dynamic start to last season, accumulating 581 receiving yards in the first seven games before falling off down the stretch.

The Panthers added Diontae Johnson this offseason, and he is expected to be the No. 1 wideout for Carolina. 

The reason why this underdog bet could work out? The chemistry between Thielen and Young is apparent, and it’s not out of the question for the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft to turn things around in his second professional season.

Young threw for only 2,877 yards as a rookie, and bumping that up closer to 3,500 would give Thielen a slight chance at crossing the 1,000-yard threshold for a second straight year in Carolina.

Here are six other team-specific bets on the Panthers that can be wagered on over at DraftKings sportsbook.

Diontae Johnson to have 1,000+ receiving yards in the regular season
Odds: +200

Johnson has reached 1,000 receiving yards once in his five seasons and would have come very close two other times if not for injuries. He should see a healthy target share in Carolina.

Bryce Young to throw for 3,500+ passing yards in the regular season
Odds: +200

Can Young be more efficient in Year 2, or is he destined to fail? This only comes out to a little more than 200 passing yards per game if he can stay healthy all season, and there are bound to be yards racked up in garbage time. But Young was terrible last year, making this an underdog play.

Diontae Johnson to have 1,250+ receiving yards in the regular season
Odds: +600

Who is ready to buy some Johnson stock? If so, here is the wager for you. It seems unlikely, but the payoff is nice if the Panthers become much more potent through the air than projected.

Bryce Young to throw for 4,000+ yards in the regular season
Odds: +600

Same thing here. It would take a turnaround of epic proportions for Young to pull this off.

Bryce Young to throw 25+ passing touchdowns in the regular season
Odds: +650

Good news: This is only 1.5 per game for 17 games. Bad news: Young threw 11 touchdowns last year.

Carolina Panthers to win 10+ regular season games
Odds: +1400

Every season, a team comes out of nowhere to fly past expectations. The Texans did it last year. Could Carolina do it in 2024? Probably not, but the payout is grand for those who want to dream.