The Carolina Panthers will look to overcome a heartbreaking loss as they will go to war with the Cincinnati Bengals in a vital Sunday showdown. Join us for our NFL odds series where our Panthers-Bengals prediction and pick will be made.
A week ago, Carolina pulled off the unthinkable after completing a Hail Mary attempt from QB P.J. Walker to WR D.J Moore to tie the game with only seconds left. However, in inexplicable fashion, Moore removed his helmet which resulted in a penalty and forced the game-winning PAT to be backed up considerably. To make a long story short, the Panthers could not connect on the extra point attempt and went on to lose to Atlanta in overtime by a score of 37-34. Coming into this one at 2-6, Carolina may be playing for pride at this point as their playoff aspirations are fading quickly.
The AFC Champions from a year ago, the Bengals look like a completely different squad than when they made their historic Super Bowl run just eight months ago. After seeing QB Joe Burrow get sacked a total of five times which further reiterated that this Bengals offensive line just isn't very good, Cincinnati looked downright awful on Monday night en route to a disheartening 32-13 defeat to the Browns. Now sitting with a record of 4-4 and right on the verge of the playoff picture at the midway point, it is time for the Bengals to right their wrongs and get things situated before it is too late.
Here are the Panthers-Bengals NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Panthers-Bengals Odds
Carolina Panthers: +7 (-105)
Cincinatti Bengals: -7 (-115)
Over: 42.5 (-110)
Under: 42.5 (-110)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
In order to cover the spread against a Bengals team that currently stands as heavy favorites, Carolina will need to sustain more consistency on defense. On paper, the Panthers secondary has been outstanding in moments as they have held opposing quarterbacks to an 89.4 rating in 2022. Outside of letting Marcus Mariota do whatever he wanted last weekend, this may be the strongest unit that Carolina has to offer on either side of the ball. If the Panthers are seeking to cover the +7.5 point spread, it will be vital for names like cornerback Jaycee Horn to clamp up Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
Not to mention, the Panthers' ferocious and dynamic pass rush has generated pressure 28.3% of the time and is led by one of the top outside linebackers in the game in Brian Burns. Through eight games, Burns has racked up five total sacks and could be in store for a big day against a Bengals offensive line that has struggled for the better portion of the last two-plus seasons.
Despite his hiccup, D.J. Moore will be entering this one after erupting for 152 yards and will be facing off against a Bengals secondary that just allowed 131 receiving yards to Amari Cooper and are also banged up. If starting quarterback P.J. Walker and Moore can pick up where they left off a week ago, then they may give the Bengals fits.
Why The Bengals Could Cover The Spread
Spending more time on the ground than standing upright, the Bengals followed up back-to-back impressive outings with one of their ugliest performances in recent memory. With only six days to recover from the abysmal showing, having a short week may be just what the doctor ordered to help Cincinnati get back on track.
Faced with a large spread that they need to cover as favorites, Cincinnati's main priority will have to be to figure out a way to shorten their routes offensively in order to give Burrow more time to throw the ball. Not only that, but it would probably be wise for the Bengals to run the ball more than they are used to avoid being sacked and facing uphill battles to pick up first-down yardage. After compiling 27 yards on only eight carries, Joe Mixon should no question be more of a focal point offensively to find some sort of success.
As a whole, the Bengals are one of the more banged-up teams in the entire National Football League, especially on the defense. With cornerback Chidobe Awuzie sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Cincinnati will have to rely on a lethal pass rush of their own to limit the amount of time that the secondary has to stay in coverage. On paper, the Bengals have shown that they could be up for the challenge as they rank 14th in total defense, 13th in points allowed, and are only giving up 210 passing yards per contest.
Final Panthers-Bengals Prediction & Pick
It is rare to see the Bengals struggle like they did during the Joe Burrow era, and they shouldn't be expected to play as bad as they did on Monday. Despite an excellent effort from the Panthers, side with the Bengals bouncing back in a big way to cover the spread.
Final Panthers-Bengals Prediction & Pick: Bengals -7 (-115)