In spite of losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home 20-14 just three weeks ago, the Carolina Panthers travel to London this Sunday as 2.5 point favorites. From Top Bet:
I find the spread a little surprising myself though I can understand why the Panthers are favored to a team they recently lost to. Since that game the Panthers have reeled off three straight wins with backup quarterback Kyle Allen subbing in for injured starter Cam Newton. The Bucs on the other hand have gone 1-2 in the same time frame. They do have an impressive win over the Los Angeles Rams, but maybe the Rams are a shell of the 2018 team that won the NFC?
The Rams did beat us in the opener, of course. The fact the Bucs whipped the Rams pretty good makes the point spread even more confusing. To top it off, I can’t decide if the over/under at 47.5 points is too low or just right. These teams only scored 34 points in the first game, but both teams have shown an ability to score over 30 points this season. I’m torn on the over/under.
Moving back to the point spread, I think the Panthers being favored is a sign many believe the Panthers 0-2 start was more due to Cam Newton’s foot injury than an indictment on the Panthers as a team. At least that is my takeaway. It explains why the spread started at an even two points but has now widened to 2.5.
Game picks
I like the Panthers to win by three and cover the spread due to Joey Slye totally redeeming himself for missing three kicks last Sunday. I also like the under 47.5 points only because my first thought was ‘for sure they will top 50 points’. Betting against my knee-jerk reaction is a consistent winner in the miscellaneous category most betting sites. Hey, I’m just here to help.
Three team parlay picks
So I’m going with the Panthers to cover 2.5 points as my first of three picks; my second pick is the San Francisco 49ers (+3) to win outright over the Rams. I feel good about those two picks, but it’s always this third one that kicks my ass. I’m going with the Tennessee Titans (+2) to cover or win outright over the Denver Broncos in Denver. From The Linebacker:
Happy betting…