The New England Patriots (4-4) might be among the most underrated teams in football right now. They’re coming off an impressive road win against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Carolina Panthers finally snapped their four-game losing streak with a huge road win against the division rival Atlanta Falcons. Carolina’s defense stepped up to secure the victory.
While quarterback Sam Darnold did a good job protecting the football against Atlanta, he continued to struggle to move the ball down the field as he averaged just 5.38 yards per attempt. As of Friday, Darnold’s status for Week 9 remains in question after he left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion and was replaced by backup P.J. Walker.
If Darnold is able to clear concussion protocol in time to play, he’s going to be in for a tough task against this Patriots defense. You have to think that head coach Bill Belichick will have some exotic coverages to confuse the struggling quarterback.
Let’s dive in.
Please note that all odds are current as of 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, November 5.
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Patriots vs Panthers Prediction
The Patriots have played well lately, winning on the road against the Chargers and blowing out the Jets at home. Prior to that, they lost to the Cowboys by six and Buccaneers by two. Those are two close losses against two Super Bowl contenders.
Rookie quarterback Mac Jones has done a good job limiting turnovers, throwing only one interception in his last three games. This has allowed the team to lean on the running game, with Damien Harris combining for 287 rushing yards on 55 carries over his last three games.
New England’s defense did a fantastic job limiting Justin Herbert and a prolific Chargers’ passing attack to only 6.37 yards per attempt. They now get to take one of Sam Darnold or P.J. Walker.
Darnold has averaged only 156 passing yards per game and 4.91 yards per attempt in his last four games. It’s starting to become apparent that it wasn’t only Adam Gase’s fault for Darnold’s struggles with the Jets.
However, the Panthers’ offense could get a boost in the shape of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who hasn’t played since Week 3 because of a hamstring injury. McCaffrey practiced on Friday, but has yet to be added to the 53-man roster.
Carolina has also given up big games on the ground, allowing Dalvin Cook (140 yards) and Ezekiel Elliott (143 yards) to run all over them. There’s a decent chance that Damien Harris keeps it rolling in Week 9.
Look for the Patriots to run the ball effectively and cause problems for Darnold this week.
Prediction: Patriots 24, Panthers 16
Patriots vs. Panthers Best Bets
Best Bet: Patriots -3.5 (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 2 Units
You have to love that we’re getting the better team as slight favorites as per our NFL gameday odds. It’s going to be tough for Darnold to move the ball against this defense.
New England’s running game is firing on all cylinders right now, so this is a matchup to exploit against a questionable Panthers’ run defense.
Look for the Patriots to grab another road win in this spot.
Best Bet: Under 41 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 2 Units
Patriots games have combined for an average of 46.5 points this season, while Panthers games have combined for an average of 40.5 points.
While this is a low bar for a total, it’s hard not to like the Under with how Sam Darnold is playing right now. The young quarterback has been struggling mightily and if he plays, it’s hard to think he’ll improve against a defense that is getting better every week.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see New England’s defense have a big day in this NFL bet of the day.
Frank Ammirante’s 2021 NFL Betting Record: 13-8, +9.07 Units
Thank you for reading our NFL Week 9 Patriots vs Panthers Predictions!
