Can we now say Carolina is legitimate? The Panthers knocked off Green Bay last week in a battle of the NFC’s best and is one of three unbeatens remaining in the NFL. They also took an important step toward securing home-field advantage in the NFC with every other team having at least two losses. Carolina goes for its 13th straight regular season win against a Titans squad trying to avoid its 10th straight home loss.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tennessee Titans +6.5
Carolina Panthers -6.5
Over/Under 42.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
Another mid-season coaching change produced results and the Titans are the beneficiaries. The line was wagered down to Carolina -4.5. Tennessee hasn’t won at home in nine tries and is due. Another passionate effort could have the Titans in upset mode.
KEY INJURIES
Luke Kuechly – Left the Green Bay game twice in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Carolina’s starting linebacker appeared to be in considerable pain, though he returned and didn’t seem to miss a beat when he was on the field. This is something the Panthers will monitor closely as we move further into the week. A.J. Klein started when Kuechly missed a few games with a concussion earlier in the season.
Jason McCourty – Missed last week’s game and is questionable for Sunday as he recovers from a groin injury. Fellow defensive back Blidi Wreh-Wilson was also absent from the secondary, prompting the Titans to promote B.W. Webb from the practice squad before last weekend’s game in New Orleans.
KEY MISMATCH
One area of emphasis Titans’ interim coach Mike Mularkey stressed when taking over was pass protection, something former coach Ken Whisenhunt wasn’t too keen on, leading to his dismissal. A 3-20 record during his tenure and a sense that things weren’t going to get better any time soon probably had something to do with it as well. After getting sacked 19 times in four games, rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota made a conscious effort to get rid of the ball quickly, and he used his feet effectively to neutralize the Saints’ pass rush. Mariota returned after missing the previous two games with a knee injury and played at less than full strength, making his well-being a priority. The Titans used a restructured game plan, changing their scheme to get the ball downfield quicker and limit the time defenders have to get after the quarterback. The plan worked as the Saints were held without a sack and Mariota became the first NFL rook to throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns in a single game without an interception.
KEY STAT
30.5 – Tennessee’s third-down conversion percentage. The Titans offense faces a stingy Panthers defense that allows opponents to convert just 35 percent of the time.
BETTING ANGLE
Carolina built its lead over Green Bay to 37-14 on a Cam Newton touchdown pass with just less than nine-and-a-half minutes to play in the fourth quarter last weekend. But the Packers didn’t quit, having possession of the football with two minutes left and looking for the tying touchdown and two-point conversion. The Panthers floundered in the fourth quarter of back-to-back games. But after holding on to defeat Green Bay, the players were united in the fact that they have to do a better job of finishing off teams when they build what should be sustainable leads. Still, the fourth-quarter follies could be costly if they continue. “We just have to do a better job as a team of finishing games,” linebacker Thomas Davis said. Coach Rivera didn’t give his team the day off as he has on other Victory Monday’s because he wanted to reemphasize some details that may have been missed by having past Monday’s off.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
They haven’t dominated anyone this NFL season but the Panthers have won them all. And the W is the only thing that matters at the end of the day. Carolina is a road favorite at Tennessee, as they should be, but the line being wagered down to -4.5 shows a lack of respect for the only unbeaten team in the NFC. Or maybe the Titans are ready to make a move under Mularkey. It sure was a different team that beat New Orleans last week with Mariota back under center, showing why the Titans took him second overall in this year’s draft. Given a chance to operate, he can be deadly. And his O-line did a nice job, a signal of what we can expect moving into the second half of the year, perhaps. It became evident a change was needed in Nashville and the team responded with a “huge” win, according to Mariota. Tennessee’s defense has been solid much of the year and now if the offense can string together performances like last week, there are more wins down road. Playing their first road game in a month against a rejuvenated team has the Panthers primed for an upset.
Tennessee 29, Carolina 26
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