The Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Bank of America Stadium.
Arizona at Carolina
When: 4:35 PM ET, Saturday, January 3, 2015
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE: Panthers -6.5. O/U: 38
PREDICTION: Panthers 20, Cardinals 19
Join BetOnline and get up to $1,000 BONUS
Oddsmakers currently have the Panthers listed as 4½-point favorites versus the Cardinals, while the game’s total is sitting at 38½.
While Carolina had the good fortune of closing the season against four teams that finished with losing records, its defense surrendered an average of 10.8 points during the winning streak and limiting Atlanta to a season-low three points in last week’s division clincher. Luke Kuechly – “The best middle linebacker in football,” according to Arians – led the league in tackles for the second time in three seasons and is the backbone of a unit that was shredded for at least 37 points in five of the first 10 games. Cam Newton suffered two fractures in his back in a rollover car accident earlier in December, but has rushed for a TD in three straight games and has a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in rookie Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen.
Carolina won its last outing, a 34-3 result against the Falcons on December 28. The Panthers covered in that game as a +2.5-point underdog, while the 37 combined points took the game UNDER the total.
Team record: 7-8-1 SU,8-8 ATS
Current Streak: won 4 straight games.
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina’s last 6 games
Carolina is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina’s last 5 games at home
While Arizona is still holding out a slight hope that backup Drew Stanton (knee) can return, the reality is that Lindley will make his third straight start and attempt to build on last week’s 316-yard, two-TD, three-interception performance – sans the picks. Michael Floyd hauled in both scoring passes while setting season highs with eight receptions for 153 yards last week but Larry Fitzgerald was limited to two catches while battling knee issues. Kerwynn Williams, signed off the practice squad after starter Andre Ellington was lost for the season in Week 13, has rushed for at least 67 yards in three of his four starts, but a bigger worry is the defense’s inability to control the opposition’s ground game. The Cardinals permitted one team to rush for 100 yards in their first 10 games, but have allowed five of the last six foes have surpassed that total.
The Cardinals were a 20-17 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the 49ers. They covered the +6-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (37) made winners of UNDER bettors.
Team record: 11-5 SU,11-5 ATS
Arizona is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games
Arizona is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona’s last 7 games
25% Bonus via Western Union
