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The Carolina Panthers search for their second win against the Indianapolis Colts. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Colts-Panthers prediction and pick.
Sitting at (3-5) on the season, it seems the Colts are much better than their record shows. They have lost three straight games but two of the three were very competitive. They have a shot to get back in the win column this week before they head to Germany to take on the New England Patriots next weekend. It's the Gardner Minshew show for the rest of the season … can he lead the Colts to the playoffs?
Carolina won their first game of the season last week against the Houston Texans. Bryce Young played very well and out-dueled C.J. Stroud, who was picked right after him in last year's draft. Eddy Pineiro nailed the walk-off field goal to win 15-13 and now the entire team has the monkey off their back. It won't be easy, but the Panthers are looking at this game as one they can win, and with the Chicago Bears next week, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Here are the Colts-Panthers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Colts-Panthers Odds
Indianapolis Colts: -2.5 (-112)
Carolina Panthers: +2.5 (-108)
Over: 43.5 (-115)
Under: 43.5 (-105)
How to Watch Colts vs. Panthers Week 9
Time: 4:05 ET/1:05 PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), NFL Sunday Ticket if out-of-market
Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Minshew will need to play mistake-free football for the Colts to cover this spread. The good news is that he has balled out since taking over as the starter for the Colts. He has five interceptions to only seven passing touchdowns, however, his 64.8 QBR is 9th in the NFL. Carolina allows 28.4 points per game so expect the Colts to score a lot of points on Sunday.
The duo of Jonothan Taylor and Zach Moss is a great one. They both average 4.7 yards per carry and Taylor is now averaging 11 carries per game since his return. It's been a slow process for Taylor but he is expected to be getting more of the load moving forward, as long as he continues to run the ball well. Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs have combined for just over 1,000 yards on the year with 469 of it after the catch.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Bryce Young and Adam Thielen need to continue their dynamic connection. Thielen has 581 yards and four touchdowns on the season and the next closest receiver in yards is D.J. Chark Jr. with 220. It's clear Thielen has a big signing for them this past offseason and he has stepped up as a leader for the offense. If Miles Sanders can get going in the run game, then this Panthers' offense can make some noise. They have no choice really, as their defense allows over 28 points a game.
The defense must improve in this game. Their last five opponents have all been better offensively than the Colts this year outside of the Texans. Coming off a game allowing just 13 is a step in the right direction. Carolina must shut down the Colts' run game and force Minshew to throw the rock. The Colts are winless in their last three games and in all three Minshew threw the ball 23+ times and had 55 attempts against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Final Colts-Panthers Prediction & Pick
This has the makings of being a high-scoring game. With that being the case, I like the Indy to come out on top with at least a 3-point win.
Final Colts-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Colts -2.5 (-112); Over 43.5 (-115)
