The Philadelphia Eagles went all-in on Sam Bradford coming into the 2015 season. To say that things haven't worked out yet is an understatement. However, with a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Carolina Panthers looming, bettors have to have a quiet optimism about Philly's chances, knowing that it is only an underdog by the value of home field advantage against an undefeated team.
SAM BRADFORD VS. CAM NEWTON FANTASY MATCHUP
We hate Bradford. He's so hard to watch. There are times he makes throws that remind you that he was once a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Then there are times when he makes throws that remind you why the Rams gave up on him. Bradford leads the league in turnovers this season, but strangely enough, he still has done a lot for fantasy bettors.
An average of 17.9 fantasy points per game isn't great, but there's more to consider here. Bradford does have at least one touchdown pass in every game this season, and getting matched up against a guy who isn't expected to throw 30 touchdowns in a season could give him a real leg up. Bradford has also thrown for at least 270 yards in three games in a row after a slow couple games against Dallas and the Jets.
Newton is always an interesting fantasy football study. He's a quarterback who gets the job done with his legs more than his arm, as evident by his 55.4 percent completion percentage.
Still, thanks to the fact that Newton gets credit for a fourth of a point every time he carries the ball or completes a pass in BookMaker's scoring system, there's a lot here to like. He's averaging a tick over 25 fantasy points per game, but he's going against a defense which has forced 16 turnovers already in 2015.
It's a tough battle to forecast with the inconsistencies of both men, but we prefer Bradford over Newton for fantasy purposes on Sunday.
DEMARCO MURRAY FOOLS' GOLD FOR RUSHING PROPS
It's easy to get caught up in the fact that Murray has had 42 carries in his last two games, and it's also easy to see those 192 yards and think that last year's rushing champ is officially back.
Not so fast, my friends.
There's a big difference between running against the weak front seven of the Saints and Giants and doing so against that of the Panthers. Carolina's men up front are massive, and Luke Kuechly might be the best run-stopping linebacker in the entire league.
Running up the gut against these Panthers is virtually impossible, and that's where Murray is going to do most of his damage.
We still don't trust Chip Kelly and this timeshare with Ryan Mathews and, to a lesser extent, Darren Sproles. The Eagles ran 76 plays against the Giants and 79 against the Saints. That probably isn't going to happen in this one. Mathews and Sproles still find themselves on the field on many third down and obvious passing down situations, and even the goal line work has been split somewhat evenly between all three men.
With the Panthers barely allowing four yards per carry, a number we suspect will drop as the season wears on, it just isn't a friendly matchup for Murray. It's time to sell on him while his stock is high and bank on his under in rushing yards against Carolina.
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the Carolina Panthers were positioned as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 47. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles will take place Sunday, October 25, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium. The game will be televised on NBC.
