The Carolina Panthers will head to Maryland to take on the Baltimore Ravens to face off in a great clash at M&T Bank Stadium. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Panthers-Ravens prediction and pick.
Last weekend, the Panthers defeated the Falcons 25-15 on Thursday Night Football. P.J. Walker completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards. Moreover, D'onta Foreman rumbled for 130 yards on 31 rushing attempts with a touchdown. Laviska Shenault Jr. rushed twice for 42 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 17 yards. Significantly, the Panthers combined for 232 rushing yards. The Ravens are coming off a bye week, so they have had two weeks to prepare. Substantially, they are 6-3 and thriving.
The Panthers lead the all-time series 4-2. Thus, these two last met in 2018. The Panthers won that game 31-21, but only D.J. Moore remains from that Carolina game as the only skill player in the lineup. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards, and Mark Andrews all played in that game. Jackson was a backup but still garnered some time. Now, he is a bonafide starter. Jackson completed 4 of 5 passes for 46 yards while rushing thrice for 26 yards. Meanwhile, Edwards rushed twice for 12 yards in limited action. Andrews caught four passes for 31 yards.
Here are the Panthers-Ravens NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Panthers-Ravens Odds
Carolina Panthers: +13 (-106)
Baltimore Ravens: -13 (114)
Over: 41.5 (-106)
Under: 41.5 (-114)
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers are 3-7 and already looking forward to the draft despite being two games behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. Ironically, they have a 3-1 record against the rest of the NFC South. Carolina will be without Walker, who sustained an injury. Instead, Baker Mayfield will start this weekend's game.
Mayfield has a completion rate of 56.6 with a 78.1 quarterback rating. Additionally, he has thrown 1117 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Foreman has rushed 91 times for 426 yards and four scores. Likewise, Chuba Hubbard has rushed 20 times for 111 yards and a score while catching three passes for 11 yards. Moore has 39 receptions for 478 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Terrace Marshall Jr. has 14 receptions for 244 yards and a touchdown. Ultimately, the offense has not performed well this year. Carolina ranks 23rd in points per game and dead last in third-down conversion. Thus, they have work to do to fix the offensive woes.
Brian Burns leads the defense with 24 solo tackles and seven sacks. Also, Donte Jackson has contributed with 32 solo tackles and two interceptions. The Panthers rank 24th in points-allowed power game, 21st in sacks, but 13th in interceptions. Significantly, they have fared better at picking off the pass than making general stops.
The Panthers will cover the spread if they can move the chains and keep the ball out of Jackson's hands. Additionally, they must account for the speedy quarterback and not allow him to beat them with his legs. If they can stop Jackson, they have a legitimate chance of shocking the Ravens.
Why The Ravens Could Cover The Spread
The Ravens are not just a hot team but also well-rested. Yes, the bye week allowed them to heal some injuries, and they face off with the Panthers with a reinvigorated spirit. It helps that they have dominated the last two games on the road. Now, they return home with an offense ready to deliver.
Jackson has completed 62.3 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 93.7. Significantly, he has thrown for 1768 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing 86 times for 635 yards and two scores. Kenyon Drake has been a solid runner, rushing 73 times for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Edwards has rushed 27 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns over two games. Andrews has 42 catches for 488 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Devin Duvernay has 25 catches for 318 yards and three scores. Isaiah Likely has 17 catches for 205 yards to help.
The Ravens are fourth in points power game. Additionally, they rank sixth in third-down conversion. Their offense is explosive, but their defense has improved since the start of the season.
Justin Houston remains a force, with 10 solo tackles and 8.5 sacks. Meanwhile, Marcus Williams and Marlon Humphrey anchor a solid secondary. Williams has 26 solo tackles and three interceptions, while Humprhey has 25 solo tackles, one sack with two interceptions. Ultimately, these two be the ones to watch. The Ravens rank 17th in points allowed per game, eighth in sacks, and seventh in interceptions.
The Ravens will cover the spread if Jackson can get his wheels going early while helping the offense thrive. Likewise, the defense must make stops and not commit penalties.
Final Panthers-Ravens Prediction & Pick
The spread is large. However, the Panthers are a terrible team, and the Ravens are streaking. Expect the streak to continue with a big Baltimore blowout win.
Final Panthers-Ravens Prediction & Pick: Baltimore Ravens: -13 (114)
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