Jaguars Panthers Line


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The Carolina Panthers will try and bring home their first win of the season this Sunday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite an 0-2 start to the season, the Panthers have been one of the surprise teams so far this year behind rookie quarterback Cam Newton.  Carolina lost 21-28 at Arizona in week 1, followed by a 23-30 loss at home to the Packers.  The Jaguars opened with an ugly 16-14 win over Tennessee, but were routed 32-2 last week by the Jets.

Taking a look at the week 3 NFL odds, oddsmakers currently have the Panthers favored by 3.5-points over the Jaguars with the total set at 43 points.

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Head coach Jack Del Rio has seen enough from starting quarterback Luke McCown in the first two games to sit the veteran and move rookie Blaine Gabbert into the starting lineup. McCown had completed just 53.5% of his passes for 234 yards with no touchdown and four interceptions. Gabbert stepped in for McCown last week against the Jets and completed 5 of 6 for 52 yards.

If Gabbert is able to bring some life to the passing game, running back Maurice Jones-Drew could become even more of a factor in the offense. Even with defenses loading up on the run, Jones-Drew has carried it 42 times for 185 yards and touchdown.

The quarterback switch could also lead to a lot better numbers from the Jaguars receiving corps. So far Mike Thomas is the only player with more than four catches, hauling in 11 passes for 84 yards. It will be interesting to see how Gabbert plays against a Carolina secondary that is giving up an average of 295 yards a game through the air.

Considering all the struggles Jacksonville has had offensively, the new-look defense has played exceptionally well to start the season. They held both the Titans and Jets under 300 yards of total offense and are allowing just 72 yards a game on the ground.

Carolina Panthers:

For a second straight week, Newton passed for over 400 yards. He set a a franchise-record with 432 yards against the Packers last week and is second only to Tom Brady (940 passing yards) with 854 passing yards on the season. Newton had the Panthers rolling early, as they led the Packers 13-0 early in the second quarter. However, the young quarterback would throw three interceptions to let the Packers back in the game.

The player that has benefited the most from Newton’s early success is star wide out Steve Smith, who leads the league with 334 receiving yards on 14 catches. Four other players each have over 100 yards receiving. Wide out Brandon LaFell is second the team with 119 yards and is the only player besides Smith (2) with a touchdown grab.

The success of the passing game seems to have taken a lot of the attention off the running game. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined for just 73 yards. Newton actually leads the team with 71 yards on the ground and has both of the teams rushing touchdowns. I strongly believe the Panthers need to find a way to get the running game going if they want to start winning games.

Carolina also needs to  get things straightened out on the defensive side of the ball. They have allowed 813 yards of total offense over the first two games, allowing both Kevin Kolb and Aaron Rodgers to pass for 300+ yards.

Betting Trends:

Jacksonville is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.

Carolina is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.

Be sure to stop back and check out what Steve Janus has to offer in week 3 of the NFL.

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