Riverboat Ron's Ship Has Sprung a Leak in Carolina

It was only a year ago when the Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) and Carolina Panthers (1-5) were considered two of the best teams in the NFC, but they certainly don’t look the part right now. Both squads will try to right the ship when they collide in Charlotte in Week 8.

While the Panthers haven’t been a reliable play when it comes to covering the spread, they have been a fantastic source for OVER bettors at Bank of America Stadium. Cam Newton and company have gone OVER in seven of their last 10 home tilts.

The OVER is also trending when the Cardinals and Panthers face off, as three of the last four matchups between the clubs have gone above the closing total.

Oddsmakers opened the Cards as 2.5-point road favorites with a total of 48.

To say the Panthers have had a monumental fall from grace would be an understatement. Only months removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the wheels have completely come off the Panthers, and Riverboat Ron Rivera’s boat could be sinking as a result.

The Panthers’ offensive line hasn’t been able to protect Newton, and he hasn’t looked comfortable in the pocket all season as a result. After getting drilled by Falcons linebacker Deion Jones, the Auburn product has spent two weeks in the concussion protocol, which is less than ideal for a mobile quarterback.

Arizona is coming off one of the most pathetic football games we’ve seen in a while, and that’s saying something. The Cards and Seattle Seahawks traded failures in a 6-6 tie during Sunday Night Football. Both had chances to win the game in overtime but proceeded to miss chip-shot field goals.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

Those siding with the visitors in this matchup saw the Arizona Cardinals listed as 0-point at shops such as Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the over under line for the betting matchup was at 48 over at Sportsbook.

Odds Shark score prediction models pick a 24-23 result in favor of the Panthers on Sunday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

Betting fans of the Carolina Panthers have seen them go 1-5 and 1-5 ATS so far this season, while the Arizona Cardinals are at 3-3-1 and 3-4 ATS. In over under totals betting, the Arizona Cardinals are 2-4-1, while the Carolina Panthers are 4-2. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Carolina vs Arizona injuries news.

The Panthers - Cardinals odds would favor the Cardinals if the betting lines were set according to power ranks. Carolina is rated No. 6 in our latest OddsShark poll, while the Cardinals sit at No. 3.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively, the game matches up the Carolina Panthers No. 5-ranked offense (26.83 PPG) against a Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks No. 5 at 15.71 PPG. The Panthers passing attack has averaged 273.33 yards per game, more than the Cardinals give up through the air (192.86 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Arizona Cardinals feature the league's No. 31-rated road run defense, allowing 179.5 yards per game. The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, ranks No. 6 in rushing offense at home.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

In their last game, Arizona's aerial attack generated 342 yards and the Cardinals came away with a 6-6 victory over Seattle at University of Phoenix Stadium.

In Carolina's last outing, Cam Newton threw for 322 yards in a losing cause against the Saints, 41-38 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Next Betting Matchups

Arizona home to San Francisco, Sunday, November 13th
Carolina at Los Angeles, Sunday, November 6th