The Cam Newton-less Bowl takes place in Week 9 between the Carolina Panthers and the visiting New England Patriots. Both teams come in at 4-4, but who’s favored coming out of the gate?
In case you might’ve missed the title of this post, it’s the Patriots. Tipico Sportsbook has opened with Carolina as 3.5-point underdogs to New England.
Bill Belichick’s squad comes into Charlotte, N.C. for Week 9 as winners of two straight. After thumping the New York Jets two contests ago, 54-13, they turned around and traveled to Los Angeles for a 27-24 upset win over the Chargers this past Sunday.
The Panthers are trying to restart a winning streak of their own. They finally put an end to their losing skid, one that dragged on for four painful games, with a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
As of Monday, the status of Carolina starting quarterback Sam Darnold is still up in the air for this matchup. Darnold exited the win in Atlanta after sustaining a concussion and is currently in league protocol.
So, depending on his status, that 3.5-point line may very well change in the upcoming days.