Carolina Panthers (3-2, 3-2 ATS) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-1, 3-1 ATS)
*ATS= against the spread
BETDAQ Line: Cincinnati -6.5 (44)
Significant Injuries
Carolina: DE Charles Johnson (questionable– hip), TE Greg Olsen (questionable– ankle), RB Jonathan Stewart (questionable– knee), CB Josh Norman (out– concussion), RB DeAngelo Williams (out– ankle)
Cincinnati: WR A.J. Green (questionable– toe), WR Marvin Jones (questionable– ankle), G Kevin Zeitler (doubtful– calf), DT Brandon Thompson (doubtful– knee)
Recent Trends
Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games
Cincinnati is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a loss
Cincinnati is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games
Cincinnati is 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game
The favorite is 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these 2 teams
The UNDER is 5-1 in Carolina’s last 6 road games
The UNDER is 13-3 in Carolina’s last 16 games following a win
The UNDER is 4-1 in Cincinnati’s last 5 games overall
Three reasons to back Carolina
1. The Panthers picked up a nice win last week over Chicago, while the Bengals were routed by a struggling New England team. The Bengals generally don’t respond well to blowout losses, as they’ve covered just twice in their last 10 games after surrendering more than 30 points in their previous game.
2. Carolina had one of the NFL’s best defenses last season and they’ve showed flashes of dominance this year, like in their Week 2 win over Detroit, when they held the explosive Lions offense to just 7 points. On Sunday the Panthers will face a Cincinnati offense that will likely be missing its best player– All Pro receiver A.J. Green. Without Green, the Bengals have a punchless attack led by an inconsistent quarterback– Andy Dalton.
3. The Bengals were supposed to be a team that relied on their defense to win games but that defense has been dreadful this season, ranking 26th in yards allowed and 27th against the run. Carolina has averaged 25 points per game in their three wins this year, so they certainly have the necessary firepower to exploit the overrated Cincinnati D.
Three reasons to back Cincinnati
1. Until their loss to New England last week the Bengals were playing the best football in the league, winning their first three games by 47 combined points. The Panthers, on the other hand, lost games to Pittsburgh and Baltimore in Weeks 3 and 4 by 46 combined points. Cincinnati has indisputably been the better team this season.
2. The Bengals have an excellent defense that ranks 5th in the NFL in points allowed despite a bad outing in New England last week. They should dominate a Carolina offense that has been mediocre at best, ranking 25th in yards per game and 24th in points scored. The Panthers are averaging just 17 points per game on the road this season.
3. Cincinnati is one of the league’s best home teams, compiling a 13-3 record against the spread in their last 16 home games. The Panthers, meanwhile, have covered just once in their last 5 road games. All signs point to a comfortable Bengals win on Sunday.
Prediction
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
