Another week, another chance for the Indianapolis Colts (3-4) to watch their season slip away. Tonight the travel to Charlotte, N.C. to take on the undefeated Carolina Panthers (6-0) who are playing the kind of crazy, big-play football that just might end up with a Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview info.
First up, here’s my pick from last weekend’s Friday Afternoon Quarterback.
Monday Night
Indianapolis at Carolina (-7)
The Colts get their second chance to knock an undefeated team off its pedestal and a second chance to blow it completely. Panthers 31, Colts 24
And here are the listing from the Power Rankings.
4. Carolina Panthers – (6-0) The Panthers think no one respects them and until last week, I was one of those people. No one is ignoring the Panthers anymore. Last week: No. 5
14. Indianapolis Colts – (3-4) The Patriots loss probably isn’t the reason Chuck Pagano will get fired this season. Last Sunday’s loss to the Saints will probably factor in, though. Last week: No. 15
And here’s a clip from our GMS preview.
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
The game is on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. There’s an excellent chance Jon Gruden will say something hilarious whether I’m funny or not. Let’s watch.
