Hoping to extend their undefeated record, the Carolina Panthers (6-0) take on the Indianapolis Colts (3-4). The NFL’s fifth-leading receiver, T.Y. Hilton (606 yards, 3 TDs), will be a player to watch in this game. It will air Monday, Nov 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In last week’s game, Carolina prevailed against the Eagles 27-16. Kawann Short led the defensive effort for Carolina in the victory, recording six tackles and three sacks. Jonathan Stewart had a great game as well, adding 125 yards on 24 carries. Indianapolis is hoping for a different outcome after losing to the Saints 27-21. T.Y. Hilton had a great game for the Colts, pulling in four receptions for 150 yards and two TDs. Andrew Luck also had a great game with 333 yards and three TDs through the air.
A close score is not projected this week when the Colts, a substantial seven-point underdog, take on Carolina. The Over/Under (O/U) line is currently at 46 points for this matchup.
Sitting at 6-0 Straight Up (SU) and 5-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Panthers will look to improve heading into Week 8. A focal point of Carolina’s offense is the running game, which ranks first in the league with 144.7 rushing yards per game. Turning to the Panthers defense, there are several areas to keep an eye on. There are few in the league better than the Panthers in terms of pass defense. Carolina allows a 58.6% completion percentage to its opponents. An important aspect of the game will be if the Panthers can benefit from Indianapolis’s propensity to commit turnovers. They currently rank 28th in the league with 2.1 turnovers per game. In the third quarter, Carolina demands the best from defenses, putting up 8.7 points during the third frame. Carolina, one of the least penalized teams in the NFL (fifth), is likely to stay in the referees’ good graces this week. The team has averaged 45 penalty yards per game this season.
Shifting to the opposition, the Colts head into Week 8 with records of 2-5 ATS and 3-4 SU. Over their last five games, the Colts have a SU record of 3-2 and a 2-3 record ATS. Indianapolis has made opposing defenses suffer as of late, averaging 25 points per game over the last five games. This improved stretch brought its season average to 21.0 PPG. The Colts will look to take advantage of a Carolina defense that allows an average of 7.7 points in the third quarter of home games, one of the worst marks in the league. Penalties could lead to trouble for the Panthers. They average 74.3 penalty yards per home game, making them one of the most penalized teams in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Car, ATS Winner – Car, O/U – Under
Notes
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Carolina is 15-7-1 ATS in its last 23 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina’s last 9 games at home.
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indianapolis.
Indianapolis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina.
Indianapolis is 1-0 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Carolina is 5-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Indianapolis is an even 2-2 SU this season when allowing at least three sacks in a game. The Carolina defense is currently averaging 3.0 sacks over the last five games.
The Carolina pass defense is ranked eighth in the league, and will look to contain the 10th-ranked passing attack of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis has given up 26.7 points per game on the road, which is ranked only 23rd in the league. Carolina has put up 26.0 points per contest at home (ranked 11th overall).
