The San Diego Chargers let an excellent opportunity slip from their grasp in last week’s 28-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now they will try to bounce back against another NFC South opponent and keep their fading playoff hopes alive. The Carolina Panthers are coming off an embarrassing lopsided loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football and now they will have to play their final four games with the awareness that they will not compete in this year’s postseason.
Moneyline: Carolina -120
Handicap/Spread Odds: Carolina -1.5
Total O/U: 48
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 12/16/12 | CAR 31 – SD 7 | CAR 3 | U 45 |
| 07/08/09 | CAR 26 – SD 24 | CAR 9.5 | O 41 |
| 10/24/04 | SD 17 – CAR 6 | SD 3 | U 41.5 |
| 12/17/00 | SD 22 – CAR 30 | CAR -7.5 | O 37.5 |
| 09/14/97 | CAR 26 – SD 7 | CAR PK | U 36.5 |
On The Chargers Side of the Ball (5-7 Record, 7-5 ATS)
The Chargers suffered another fourth-quarter collapse in last week’s 28-21 loss to the Buccaneers as they allowed Tampa Bay to rally back in big part because of a pair of brutal turnovers by Phillip Rivers. Rivers threw two interceptions including a crucial pick in the final minute of the fourth quarter and San Diego dropped to 5-7 on the season. It won’t get any easier for the Chargers this week on the road at Carolina, especially after the Panthers were humiliated on Sunday Night Football. Rivers can definitely sling the football but San Diego can’t afford for him to turn the ball over. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense has held up fairly well overall but will face a very difficult test trying to slow down Cam Newton and company.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/04/16 | TB | L 21-28 | L -3.5 | P 49 |
| 11/27/16 | @HOU | W 21-13 | W -2.5 | U 45.5 |
| 11/13/16 | MIA | L 24-31 | L -4 | O 48.5 |
| 11/06/16 | TEN | W 43-35 | W -3.5 | O 47.5 |
| 10/30/16 | @DEN | L 19-27 | L 3.5 | O 43 |
On The Panthers Side of the Ball (5-7 Record, 5-7 ATS)
There weren’t any positives at all to take from Carolina’s blowout loss to Seattle. Cam Newton missed the first series of the game due to a dress code violation and the decision backfired when Derek Anderson threw an interception on the first play of the game. The Seahawks quickly capitalized and the Panthers never seemed to be able to get going. Newton completed just 14-of-32 passes for 182 yards. Although the team has had a lot of bad breaks and suffered through injuries, it’s getting harder and harder to believe that Newton was the league MVP last year. Week 13 marked the third straight game in which he’s completed less than 50% of his passes. While last week’s effort was against a stout Seahawks defense, he also did the same against the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints – two teams with fairly weak stoppage units.
Meanwhile, the Panthers aren’t looking strong on the other side of the ball either. Carolina allowed Russell Wilson and company to produce a season-high 534 total offensive yards. The Panthers couldn’t produce a worse effort than they delivered last week so we have to think that they will bounce back. There is still a ton of talent on this roster despite an injury-depleted defense and Carolina will be back at home. They are at least 3-3 at home compared to 1-5 on the road.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/04/16 | @SEA | L 7-40 | L 8 | O 43.5 |
| 11/27/16 | @OAK | L 32-35 | W 3.5 | O 48.5 |
| 11/17/16 | NO | W 23-20 | L -3.5 | U 52.5 |
| 11/13/16 | KC | L 17-20 | L -3 | U 44 |
| 11/06/16 | @LA | W 13-10 | P -3 | U 44.5 |
Quick Analysis
The Panthers are just 2-3 straight up and 1-3-1 against the spread over their last five home games so it makes sense that the spread would be as low as it is. San Diego has dropped two of its last three overall but they are 3-1 against the spread in their last four road games so they should be able to keep this one close. These teams haven’t played since 2012 but Carolina did cover in each of the last two meetings between them.
Prediction
While it would seem crazy to bet against the Panthers at home to San Diego earlier in the year the reality is that this Carolina team has been an absolute disaster of late and they just don’t have the same talent or desire that we saw from them last year. The Chargers are still fighting for a chance at a playoff spot so we will put our money on them to bounce back with a big win on the road this week.
Pick: San Diego +1.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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