Two teams heading in opposite directions will face off in Week 10 when the Arizona Cardinals host the Carolina Panthers. Arizona holds the best record in the NFL at 8-1, while Carolina has dropped five of its last six games.
Let’s try to add some life to this potentially lopsided affair by discussing our Panthers vs Cardinals best bets and predictions. Please note that all NFL Week 10 odds and lines are current as of 1 PM EST on Friday, November 12.
Mike Barner’s season betting record: 13-18 (-7.07 units)
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Panthers vs Cardinals Prediction
Injuries could play a key role in this game, as Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold went on the injured reserve this week with a shoulder injury.
Backup QB P.J. Walker did not look good when he relieved Darnold in Week 7, however, connecting on just 3-of-14 pass attempts for 33 yards. That could force Matt Rhule to rely even more on Christian McCaffrey, who racked up 106 total yards during his return from the IR last week.
Carolina did bring quarterback Cam Newton back into the mix on Thursday, signing the free agent for the remainder of the season. Newton won’t practice with the team until Friday’s walkthrough, though, so it looks like it’ll be Walker or Matt Barkley in this one.
Injuries have taken their toll on the Cardinals as well. Both Kyler Murray (ankle) and DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) missed Week 9, which amazingly still resulted in a 31-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. To make matters worse, Chase Edmonds suffered a high-ankle sprain during the game that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks.
It will be important to monitor injury updates on Murray and Hopkins as the week progresses. As of Friday, things are still uncertain as neither Murray nor Hopkins was able to practice on Wednesday or Thursday.
There is some good news for Arizona, though, as A.J. Green has been taken off the COVID-19 list. Also, if Murray can’t go, Colt McCoy played well in his absence, completing 22-of-26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown.
Getting either or both of Murray and Hopkins back would provide a huge boost to Arizona’s offense, while James Conner will do his best to fill in for Edmonds. He certainly proved capable of that on Sunday when he amassed 173 total yards and three touchdowns.
Even a banged-up Cardinals squad still has enough firepower to win this game handily, especially with their defense allowing the third-fewest points per game in the NFL this season (17.2).
Prediction: Cardinals 24, Panthers 13
Can Christian McCaffrey lead the Carolina Panthers to an upset win over the Arizona Cardinals in NFL Week 10? (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Panthers vs Cardinals Best Bets
Best Bet: Cardinals Moneyline (-550) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
Until we learn more about the statuses of Murray and Hopkins, it’s too early to pick a side on the points spread from our NFL gameday odds. Even if both of them sit, however, the Cardinals still have a good chance to win this game.
McCoy showed that he can fill in admirably for Murray and Arizona still has A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore, and Zach Ertz as options in the passing game if Hopkins remains out.
The Cardinals’ defense should also have another strong performance against a dysfunctional Panthers offense that has scored fewer than 20 points in four of its last five games.
Best Bet: Under 44 Points (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
Carolina’s inability to score is what makes the Under here so appealing. They’re only averaging 19 points per game, which ranks seventh-worst in the NFL. Those struggles will likely continue against Arizona’s stout defense, regardless of who Rhule starts under center.
The Cardinals have an explosive offense but are dealing with injuries to several key playmakers. They’ll also face a rugged Panthers defense that’s yielding the seventh-fewest points per game in the NFL (20.3).
Given the question marks surrounding both offenses, back the Under in this matchup between two elite defenses for our NFL bet of the day.
Thank you for reading our Panthers vs Cardinals Predictions! For more NFL betting tips, check out our NFL Week 10 Best Bets.
