The undefeated Carolina Panthers (5-0) meet the Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) this week. The game will begin Sunday, Oct 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on NBC.
Carolina picked up a win over the Seahawks 27-23 last week. Greg Olsen had an outstanding performance in the win, registering seven catches for 131 yards and one TD. Jonathan Stewart also had a big game with 78 yards and two TDs on 20 attempts. Philadelphia also picked up the win last week, blowing out the Giants 27-7. DeMarco Murray had a big game on the ground for the Eagles, rushing for 109 yards and one TD on 22 carries.
Carolina is favored by a small two-point margin in its matchup against the Eagles. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 46 points.
Heading into Week 7 of league action, the Panthers are 5-0 Straight Up (SU) and 4-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Panthers are known to run the ball. Their 32.8 rushing attempts per game are the most in the NFL. Transitioning to the Carolina defense, there are some factors that could impact the outcome. Carolina looks to use its formidable run defense, which gives up 65.5 rushing yards at home, against the visiting Eagles. The Eagles need to watch out for Carolina’s stingy coverage. They average the fourth-most turnovers with 2.2 per game. The Panthers should keep an eye on Philadelphia’s defensive struggles during the second quarter of away games, when it gives up 10.3 points per game. Look for the Panthers to control the pace on game day. Philadelphia has an average time of possession of 26:56 per game, ranking last in the league.
As for their opponent, the Eagles have a record of 3-3 for both ATS and SU. The Philadelphia run defense has given teams issues during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of 92.8 rushing yards against this scary bunch. The Eagles offense has success scoring in the third quarter, when they average 8.3 points this year. The calls start to add up for Carolina when the team plays at home. The team receives an average of 10 penalties per home game, one of the highest rates in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Car, ATS Winner – Car, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina’s last 7 games.
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Carolina’s last 8 games at home.
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia.
Each team is 3-0 SU when leading at the half this season.
Interestingly, Philadelphia is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (2-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Philadelphia has drawn an average of 8.2 penalties on opponents over its last five games. Carolina is winless this season (0-3 SU) when penalized at least eight times in a game.
Carolina is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its third-ranked rushing attack will face the 10th-ranked run defense of Philadelphia, while its 13th-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 19th-ranked run game of the Eagles.
