The Carolina Panthers will face the Buffalo Bills in a Week 15 inter-conference showdown. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Panthers-Bills prediction and pick.
This game is crucial for both of these teams. The Panthers are barely clinging on to their hopes of making the postseason, and another loss would likely end those hopes for good. Carolina pretty much has to win out in order to have any mathematical chance at making the playoffs, and that incredibly unlikely run needs to start here. Buffalo is already in position to take a wild card seed in the AFC, but that's far from a given. Four other potential wild card teams share a record with the Bills, so a third consecutive loss here would be a devastating blow to Buffalo's chances of even making the playoffs.
For more insight on the Panthers-Bills matchup in Week 15, listen below:
Here are the odds for the Panthers-Bills game, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Panthers-Bills Odds
Carolina Panthers: +11.5 (-105)
Buffalo Bills: -11.5 (-115)
Over: 44.5 (-110)
Under: 44.5 (-110)
*Watch NFL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Carolina has struggled massively on offense recently, but their defense has been good enough to keep them in games. The Panthers only allow 176 passing yards per game, the second-lowest number in the league. They're an average run defense, but that shouldn't come into play too much against a Buffalo team that has been incapable of running the football for most of this season. The Bills have had some trouble finding their rhythm in the passing game in recent weeks, and this game should be more of the same for a Buffalo team in freefall.
This spread may be a little too big for a Buffalo team that has dropped two contests in a row. The Bills have entered six games as home favorites, and they've only covered in two of those matchups. Meanwhile, the Panthers have come into three games as road underdogs and have covered in two of them. This seems like it just may be a little bit too much to ask of a Buffalo team that's in the middle of a huge skid.
Injuries will also play a factor here. Bills starting quarterback Josh Allen suffered an injury to his leg in a Week 14 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he'll likely be questionable for this game.
Why The Bills Could Cover The Spread
There is an undeniable talent gap between these two teams. Allen and the Bills began this season as one of the best teams in the NFL, so they clearly possess enough talent to hang with anyone. The Panthers, on the other hand, have questions about their roster in several spots. Quarterback is a huge area of concern, as presumed starter Cam Newton has been benched due to abysmal play for two weeks in a row now. Backup signal-caller PJ Walker isn't any better, so this Carolina offense should be crippled by poor quarterback play in this game. Buffalo is the only pass defense in the league that's better than Carolina, so this should be a dominant effort on the defensive side of the ball for the Bills.
While it's true that the Bills haven't been the best at covering as home favorites, there is reason to believe they can handle this spread. The Bills are 3-1-1 against the spread when they enter the game as a multi-score favorite, just like they do here. Their lone loss came in a huge upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars, something that isn't likely to happen again.
Final Panthers-Bills Prediction & Pick
The Bills should right the ship here. Take Buffalo to destroy an inexperienced, rudderless Panthers team in Orchard Park in this one.
Final Panthers-Bills Prediction & Pick: Buffalo Bills: -11.5 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe