Week 12 of the 2025-26 NFL season concludes with two teams fighting to move up in their respective divisions and the NFC Wild Card race as the San Francisco 49ers host the Carolina Panthers. Both teams sit above .500 and hope that a Monday Night Football catapults them to the top of the NFC standings by the end of the year.

The Panthers (6-5) have won two of their last three games with a massive offensive explosion in Week 11 after they beat the Falcons 30-27 in OT. Bryce Young threw for 448 yards and aims to carry that momentum over into this MNF matchup against the 49ers. The Panthers are a half game out of the lead in the NFC South.

The 49ers (7-4) have alternated between wins and losses over the last few months. They beat up the Cardinals last weekend but were trounced by the Rams in Week 10. San Francisco sits 1.5 games back of LA for the top spot in the NFC west.

Both teams seemed dead in the water after the first month of the season. However, their Super Bowl aspirations have begun to resurface as they both sit above .500 this late in the season for the first time this decade.

Currently, this game is favored towards the 49ers by a touchdown, according to the latest NFL betting lines. With that said, let’s dive deeper into the latest MNF odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites, and make our Week 12 NFL picks for the Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers.

What Channel Is Monday Night Football On?

• Monday Night Football Channel: ESPN
• Monday Night Football Time: 8:15pm ET
• Monday Night Football Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

The Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers will kick off at 8:15pm ET live from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA..

Monday Night Football Odds

The following Monday Night Football odds are courtesy of ScoresandStats:

Keep an eye on the latest NFL odds for MNF and monitor how the lines change up until kickoff.

The line first opened with the San Francsico 49ers favored by 7 points and sporting a -298 moneyline. The spread has floated between 6.5 and 7.5 points over the last week. Yet, the 49ers moneyline has gone up to -370 odds.

The Carolina Panthers opened as a sizable Underdog of +240, but over the last month, that line has gone up as high as the current +290 odds. The Total opened at 46.5 points and has slowly climbed up to the current Over/Under of 49.5 points.  

Following our disappointing loss with Dallas on MNF a few weeks ago, we bounced back by taking the Eagles last week in an upset over the Packers and kept the good times rolling along by taking Dallas to beat the Raiders. Our MNF record now sits at 8-7 on the season.

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Monday Night Football Betting Trends

The following Monday Night Football betting trends include data from last season:

Carolina Panthers Betting Trends

• 5-2 SU in the last seven games
• 4-1 SU in last five NFC games
• 4-1 ATS in last five road games
• 5-2 ATS in last seven games
• Over is 5-1 in last six NFC West games

San Francisco 49ers Betting Trends

• 6-1 SU in last seven NFC South games
• 5-1 SU in last six Week 12 games
• 7-13 ATS in last 20 overall games
• 1-5 ATS in last six home games
• Over is 4-1 in last five November games

Monday Night Football Matchup

These two NFL Teams have played against each other 23 times and it’s the Carolina Panthers with a surprising 13-10 series record. The San Francisco 49ers have won two games in a row with the most recent meeting coming in 2022. In fact, they’ve outscored the Panthers 88 to 28 in those two matchups.

However, Carolina is 10-5 SU in their last 15 games against the 49ers, 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games versus San Francisco, and 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games in the Bay Area. Since 1999, the Panthers are 4-2 SU in their last six games at San Francisco.

Monday Night Football Predictions

Let’s take a look at the participants in this week’s Monday Night Football game, and make our winning NFL picks: 

Carolina Panthers Monday Night Football

The Carolina Panthers are right on Tampa’s heels for the lead in the NFC South. It’s crazy to say, but it’s true. A win on MNF along with a loss by the Bucs would give Carolina the boost they need to sit tied atop of the division.

Last week, the Panthers put up 486 total yards against the Falcons. They were led by Bryce Young who threw for 448 yards and 3 TDs. He set career and franchise records as the Panthers won in OT. McMillan tallied 130 yards and 2 TDs on eight receptions. Carolina also knocked Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. out for the season.

Young’s performance last week was a stark contrast to his 124 yards through the air in Week 10 against the Saints. Carolina lost 17-7 in what was a game that they were favored to win.

I see Carolina having some success through the air in this MNF matchup, as well. The 49ers rank 28^th in the NFL against the pass as they allow 249.1 ypg. This is 62 yards more per game than Carolina averages.

As long as the Panthers can protect Young, then he has a shot at putting up decent numbers. Fortunately, the 49ers rank dead last in the league with a 2.94% sack rate.

Carolina averages 127.1 rushing yards per game, which is the 9^th most in the NFL. So, the threat of running the ball should open up some play-action opportunities and chunk plays.

San Francisco 49ers Monday Night Football

Last week, Brock Purdy made a triumphant return from a lengthy hiatus due to injuries. He threw for 200 yards and three TDs as the 49ers won 41-22. They were up 25-10 at halftime and were never threatened in the second half by the Cardinals.

The 49ers boast of the no.2 passing attack that averages 254.5 ypg. Most of that was done by Mac Jones during Purdy’s absence. However, this passing offense should keep rolling along against the no. 16 pass defense in Carolina. Additionally, the Panthers have the 5^th lowest sack rate and the 49ers have the 7^th best pass protection.

They key to this game will be whether or not 49ers’ RB Christian McCaffrey can get going against this former team. The 49ers have the 6^th lowest rushing attack in the league at 94.8 ypg. This is despite McCaffrey’s outstanding season to date.

Who Is Winning Monday Night Football?

Whichever team can establish a consistent running game, will get this win on MNF. The ground game is going to be crucial for this matchup as it opens up the play action, sustains drives, and keeps the opposing defense honest.

Carolina has had the better ground attack this season and I can see that continuing on MNF. Two weeks ago, the 49ers allowed the Rams to rush for 126 yards. The Panthers average 127.1 ypg on the ground.

I also like for the Panthers to have success against the 5^th worst pass defense that also consists of the worst sack rate in the NFL.

I’m taking the Panthers to cover this 7-point spread. I would love to get Carolina at +7.5 points. So, jump at that line if you can find it.

The Panthers 14-4 ATS against the 49ers which also includes going 9-2 ATS in their last 11 trips to San Francisco. Additionally, the 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games. With that said, I do like the 49ers to win by late field goal as I believe that Purdy will outduel Young.

I also like the Over for this matchup. The Over has gone 15-5 in the last 20 head-to-head meetings. For San Francisco, the Over is 6-2 in their last eight games, 5-1 in their last six NFC games, and 4-1 in their last five November games. The Over is 12-6 in Carolina’s last 18 games and 5-1 in their last six NFC west matchups.

Bet: San Francisco 49ers (-370), Carolina +7 (-110), Over 49.5 points (-110)

Monday Night Football Prop Bets

Let’s take a look at some of the best Player props and Game prop bets for this Monday Night Football matchup:

Bryce Young Passing yards

• Over 209.5 yards (-110)
• Under 209.5 yards (-110)

While Young has gone over this mark just twice in 11 starts on the season, I think he can surpass it for a second straight week. The 49ers are allow 249.1 passing ypg. That bodes well for a Carolina team that seemed to find confidence in throwing the ball last week.

Bet: Over 209.5 yards (-110)

Carolina Panthers Field Goals

• Over 1.5 FGs (-105)
• Under 1.5 FGs (-125)

The Panthers have only attempted 17 field goals this season. In fact, they’ve attempted two or more field goals in six of 11 games. However, they only made two or more field goals in five of those six games.

With the ability to throw on this 49ers defense, I can see Carolina getting up and down the field. However, they’re just 20^th in the NFL with a 54.29% red zone rate. And the 49ers are in the middle of the pack for allowing TDs to the opposition in the red zone. To me, this sounds like field goal attempts for the Panthers.

Bet: Over 1.5 field goals (-105)

Christian McCaffrey Rushing Yards

• Over 75.5 yards (-110)
• Under 75.5 yards (-110)

Christian McCaffrey has 1,439 total yards this season. However, 702 yards have come on the ground which breaks down to an average of 64.3 rushing yards per game. He’s only gone over the 75-yard mark in three of his 11 starts this season. Yet, those three occurrences took place over his last five games.

I’m going against the grain and taking McCaffrey to surpass 75 rushing yards against his former team. I think the 49ers will spread out the offense and find ways to run the ball with McCaffrey.

Bet: Over 75.5 yards (-110)

Best Bets For Monday Night Football

Check out our best bets for Monday Night Football:

• Carolina Panthers +7 (-110)
• Bryce Young Over 209.5 passing yards (-110)
• Christian McCaffrey Over 75.5 rushing yards (-110)

I really like the Panthers to cover the seven-point spread. They’ve gone 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games versus the 49ers. More specifically, they’ve gone 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games at San Francisco. Furthermore, the 49ers are just 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.

I see Bryce Young having a decent outing on Monday Night Football which will lead the Panthers to covering. Look for Young to surpass 209 passing yards as the 49ers give up 249.1 ypg through the air.

Lastly, McCaffrey is going to rush for 76 or more yards for the third time in the last four games. I can see some creative planning to get McCaffrey going on the ground.

If you put these best Week 12 MNF bets into a parlay, then you will win $596 for every $100 wagered. That’s a 6x on your parlay card.

If this interests you, then check out our best NFL parlays of the week. We also have weekly College Football parlays, as well.

Monday Night Football Song

Monday Night Football’s theme “Heavy Action” has become a pop-culture staple as generations of fans will instantly recognize the theme song within the first few notes.

Yet, over time, broadcast networks have tried to retool the MNF song to add an extra layer of entertainment, importance, and relevance. For over two-decades, Monday Night Football belonged to Hank Williams Jr. and his hit “All My Rowdy Fans Are Coming Over Tonight.”

In 2023, ESPN debuted a new opening song. They took one of the 80’s biggest hits “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins and modernized it with an all-star collaboration from Christ Stapleton, Snoop Dogg and Cindy Blackman Santana. As of now, this rendition is expected to remain the Monday Night Football song for the 2025-26 season.

Monday Night Football Schedule