The NFL is entering its ninth week of the regular season. The New England Patriots will hit the road and take on the Carolina Panthers. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Patriots-Panthers prediction and pick.

Both of these teams are 4-4 entering Week 9.  The Patriots are coming off back to back wins and will look to carry that momentum into Sunday's matchup. The Panthers are coming off their first win since Week 3 and will look to get another against New England. This should be a good game.

For our conversation about Patriots-Panthers on the Establish the Pass podcast, click below:

Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for the Patriots-Panthers matchup.

NFL Odds: Patriots-Panthers Odds

New England Patriots: -3.5 (-115)

Carolina Panthers: +3.5 (-105)

Over 41 (-110)

Under 41 (-110)

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Why The Patriots Could Win

The New England Patriots are 4-4 heading into Week 9 and momentum is on their side. They are coming off back to back wins. In Week 8 they managed to defeat a tough Chargers team. That win showed that this Patriots team has the ability to persevere and step things up in crunch time. New England will be looking to get their win streak up to three games. The Panthers are a worse team than the Chargers so this should make for an easier game for the Patriots. If New England comes into Sunday ready, they should be able to take care of business.

Coming into the season the biggest questions about this team surrounded rookie quarterback, Mac Jones. Jones has been having a solid rookie season and will look to step things up on Sunday. Through 8 games as the starter, Jones has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. These are good numbers for a rookie and Patriots fans should be getting excited for the future. If Jones can keep putting up performances equal or better to what he has done all season then the Patriots could win this game.

Another bright spot for this Patriots team has been the emergence of running back Damien Harris. Harris has really stepped things up over his last three games. Over those games he is averaging 95 rushing yards and more than a touchdown. If Harris can continue to run the ball effectively then things should open up for the rest of the Patriots offense. Look for New England to utilize their running back early and to get things going offensively.

Why The Panthers Could Win

The Carolina Panthers had one of the hottest starts to the season. They won their first three games and fans started calling for a super bowl. The rest of the season has not gone quite as well. Carolina lost their next four games, but managed to get a win last week against the Falcons. If the Panthers have any playoff ambitions they will need to defeat the Patriots on Sunday. They are returning home after two weeks on the road and will look to deliver for themselves and their fans.

If Carolina wants to win this game then Sam Darnold will need to step up. After his hot start to the season he has cooled off and been underwhelming. Darnold has thrown over 1800 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. His biggest problem is that he is failing to find the end zone. If Darnold can have a bounce back performance on Sunday then the Panthers could definitely win this game. The fourth year quarterback needs to show why he was a top draft pick and come out firing on Sunday.

The anchor of this Panthers team has been the defense. Carolina's defense is one of the best in the league. They rank second overall in the league in total yards allowed. The Panthers have been holding opponents to less than 300 yards of offense per game. If Carolina's defense can continue to shut down opponents then it will simply be up to the offense to win this game. The defense will put the offense in advantageous positions, the offense will just need to capitalize on the opportunity. Look for Carolina's defense to keep them in this game and make it a competitive match.

Final Patriots-Panthers Prediction & Pick

This isn't actually too tough of a decision. These teams are trending in opposite directions. The Patriots are starting to gain momentum and pick things up. Carolina has been stumbling since Week 4 and barely managed to squeeze out a win against one of the worst teams in the league. The Patriots should have no problem going into Carolina and walking away with a win. Pick the Patriots to win and cover.

FINAL PATRIOTS-PANTHERS PREDICTION & PICK: New England Patriots -4 (-106)