After two touchdown-less performances over the last three weeks, the Carolina Panthers do not deserve the benefit of the doubt.
So, Tipico Sportsbook didn’t give them any of it—opening the cats in their upcoming Week 10 matchup as 9.5-point underdogs. Oh, and their opponent might have a little something to do with that pretty wide spread.
Carolina will be traveling to the desert this Sunday to take on the 8-1 Arizona Cardinals. The NFC’s top dog and the league’s only current eight-win team, in fact, didn’t even need their star quarterback to pick up their most recent victory.
Filling in for an injured Kyler Murray in Week 9 was 11-year veteran Colt McCoy, who completed 22 of his 26 throws for 249 yards and a touchdown. The Cards’ 31-17 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers was also paced by running back James Conner and his three touchdowns.
The Panthers (4-5), on the other hand, didn’t see any kind of pace this past weekend. Quarterback Sam Darnold, who may be sidelined in favor of backup P.J. Walker in this upcoming tilt, drove the broken-down bus right into their 24-6 defeat to the New England Patriots with three interceptions.
Arizona, additionally, could very well have Murray and stud wideout DeAndre Hopkins back for this one.