Cat Scratch Reader
Welp, with the Carolina Panthers dreams of a wildcard berth and actually making some noise in the post season quietly washing away last night, we’re back to our weekly ritual of acknowledging the team’s well-earned status as an underdog. This week they are favored to lose to the Los Angeles Rams, one of the best teams in professional football at this time.
Y’all, it’s not going to be pretty.
Rams: -10.5 (-110)
Panthers: +10.5 (-110)
45.5 (-110/-110)
Rams: -750
Panthers: +530
Remember that home-field advantage is traditionally accounted for by spotting the home team—the Panthers, in this case—three points on the spread. That would make them two touchdown dogs on a neutral field.
The Panthers are tied with the Minnesota Vikings (at Seattle Seahawks) for the biggest underdogs of the week right now. Partly, that’s because the Dolphins are playing the Saints and partly that’s because the Panthers are not to be trusted. Sure, they can put forth a couple of games here and there, but that’s not the same thing as being competitive. The Panthers passing game has not produced at a level you would expect to see from a professional football team. Every downfield completion at this point comes as a surprise and oddsmakers have taken that into account.
The above odds were current as of the writing of this post. You can take a look at—and place a bet on—live odds for this game and more here at FanDuel Sportsbook.
