NFL Odds Panthers at Patriots

Written December 9, 2009 by Hector Garza

The New England Patriots (7-5) will try to end their two game losing streak as they host the Carolina Panthers (5-7) this Sunday at 1:00 pm et. It’s a good thing it won’t be a road game, where Tom Brady and company have lost 5 of their 6 games. They’re currently undefeated at home where our NFL odds have them as the 13.5 point favorites. The Panthers ended their own two game losing streak with a 16-6 win against lowly Tampa Bay. Their playoff hopes are all but shot with an extremely tough four game stretch to end the season that includes; New England, Minnesota, New York Giants and undefeated New Orleans. NFL betting has never been easier, and you can take advantage with a $100 bonus when opening a new account at SportsInteraction.

Despite star RB DeAngelo Williams not playing, the Carolina offensive didn’t seem to miss him too much in the running game. Backup Jonathan Stewart ran for 120 yards of the 157 total rushing yards and the only td. The passing game was another story, as Matt Moore got the start in place of Jake Delhomme (broken finger) and threw for only 161 yards and an interception. Despite the yardage, he did do a good job of getting the star receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad involved. The defense was their saving grace, as they intercepted rookie QB Josh Freeman five times and kept them scoreless in the redzone. They’ll have a much tougher time with turnovers in this week’s game against Tom Brady and another stable of great receivers. Against the run they gave up 154 yards, but didn’t allow a rushing td for the first time this season.

New England will be looking to vent their frustrations after losing a close division game to Miami, 21-22. Tom Brady struggled in the contest with two interceptions, the last one coming on a potential game winning drive. Despite the turnovers he did end up with 352 yards, with his two touchdowns coming on big plays by Randy Moss (58 yards) and Sam Aiken (81 yards). His most consistent target was again Wes Welker, who tallied ten receptions for a game high 167 yards. The running game was held to 96 yards, a number they’ll be looking to improve against a weak Carolina defense. Defensively the young unit struggled against a mediocre passing team. They gave up 335 yards and two td’s to Chad Henne, who on the year is averaging 184.7 ypg. Clearly Miami thought to change their run heavy offense to take advantage of the weak secondary, and their gamble paid off. The defense did do a good job containing Ricky Williams and the ground game, allowing 75 yards to the bruising back.

Betfirms has all you need when it comes to winning NFL picks. The Patriots have been struggling, but this is a road game against an inferior opponent, and there’s no good reason they shouldn’t be able to win here. New England will be able to pound the ball on the ground, and if Tom Brady can play turnover free they’ll be fine. Whether they can beat the spread remains to be seen. If Carolina is smart they’ll do the same as Miami and try to attack the inexperienced secondary to put up some points, and if you’re smart you’ll check out more free football picks.