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NFL Playoff Betting: Sub .500 Panthers -7 vs 11-5 Cardinals
By Charles Jay
The Carolina Panthers are only the second team in history to win a division championship with a record below .500. However, they did finish the campaign with some momentum. On Saturday they will have an opportunity to advance to the second round of the playoffs as they host a game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte against the Arizona Cardinals, who slumped toward the end because of their difficult quarterback situation but still made it to the playoffs is a wildcard entry. NFL betting action gets underway at 4:35 PM ET.
The Cardinals finished with a record of 11-5, both straight-up and ATS. The Panthers were 7-8-1, both straight-up and against the football pointspread.
In Carolina’s four-game winning streak to end the season, they were able to capture their second straight division crown. None of those wins came against teams with records above .500, but the 34-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the winner-take-all season finale was admittedly impressive. The Panther defense came through, returning two interceptions for touchdowns.
Arizona struggled to the finish line with their third-string quarterback, Ryan Lindley, who was actually taken out of the lineup early last week by coach Bruce Arians, but re-inserted when rookie Logan Thomas looked awful in practice. Lindley came through with a 316-yard effort against the San Francisco 49ers, although the Cards lost to 20-17.
In the NFL Playoff betting odds that have been placed on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the Panthers are favored by a touchdown:
Carolina Panthers -7 (+100)
Arizona Cardinals +7 (-120)
Over 38 points -110
Under 38 points -110
Carolina has gotten a near-heroic effort out of Cam Newton, who has dealt with all kinds of injuries, including a car accident that broke two bones in his lower back a couple of weeks ago. He has chipped in with some rushing yards, gaining 63 in last week’s victory. The Panthers have averaged 199 yards on the ground during this four-game streak, during which Carolina has allowed just 43 points, bringing back some memories of the suffocating defense they had last year.
BetAnySports patrons know that Arizona has struggled with these quarterback changes. Lindley is not really good enough to be a starter, and he has completed only 48% of his passes. The Cardinals have struggled for most of the season trying to establish a ground attack (just 3.3 yards per carry), but they like to think they have a possible answer in Kerwynn Williams, who stepped into the lineup and gained 246 yards over the last four games, averaging 4.6 yards a pop. This defensive unit, in most cases, has bent but not broken, and it is rather remarkable that the Cardinals won eleven games despite being outgained by 48 yards per contest.
In last year’s meeting, Arizona won a 22-6 decision, and gave Newton a hard time all day, intercepting him three times and sacking him seven times. Because of the fact that they have cornerbacks who can play man-to-man, particularly on rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (73 receptions, 1008 yards), Arizona may be freed up to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.
BetAnySports is most definitely your home for NFL playoff betting action, as you can get reduced juice wagering and take part in betting all during the game with Live Betting Extra. Get a generous free play bonus when you sign up, and make your deposit with a credit card, or with Bitcoin!