00:00Let's talk Carolina Panthers to start.
00:02Deserving to be in the playoffs, and also, what's the pluses and the minuses for them?
00:05Well, I don't know.
00:06Again, when you want a team in the playoffs, you want to be able to take care of business,
00:11and they weren't able to do that.
00:13When they went on the road last weekend with Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay
00:17got completely outplayed for basically three quarters offensively and defensively.
00:22They made a little bit of a run in the fourth quarter and couldn't close it out,
00:25but they got the cover as a three-and-a-half-point underdog.
00:28That being said, they do now have a new lease on life,
00:32and they're going to have to live up to expectations.
00:34The one thing I don't like about Carolina is that in a playoff type of game, rain, no rain,
00:41if the game falls on your quarterback, can he seize the opportunity
00:45and potentially pull this game out with his arm?
00:48And that's something that Carolina has not done consistently throughout the regular season.
00:53You go back to the 31-28 victory earlier in the year,
00:56Bryce Young threw for 206 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
01:01Fast forward to the game against Tampa Bay, he had the one big play to Tett McMillan outside of that.
01:07Every throw was short to intermediate and underneath coverage.
01:10He doesn't look like a confident quarterback heading into this matchup.
01:14So when you look at this game and we say, how do you gauge Carolina?
01:18Yeah, they should be 10-and-a-half-point dogs because if they were 10-and-a-half-point dogs
01:23throughout the regular season, it's the exact same line, Donnie,
01:27when these teams played back in like late October, early November.
01:31But for some reason, it's a much different team.
01:35They don't have confidence in the rushing attack.
01:38You know, Rico Daudo got his seven yards last week,
01:41but they couldn't pound the rock against a defense that was reeling at that point in Tampa Bay.
01:46Now, granted, the weather had a little bit of a hold on that,
01:50but Tampa Bay was able to pound the rock a little bit more consistently than Chuba Hubbard and Rico Daudo.
01:57And now this game is on turf.
01:59They're going to have to need and utilize this passing attack, and that is the one concern.
02:05I think this game isn't over.
02:06However, I'll still buy in reluctantly to the side with the 10-and-a-half
02:11because you give me a home dog in this environment, you better hit on all cylinders.
02:16But I really like the over more than anything else.
02:18When I initially look at this line, and I always like to preface this,
02:21the line's there for a reason.
02:22They didn't just have a power ball lottery that goes, whoop, today's 10-and-a-half,
02:25and good luck with that.
02:26It's there.
02:26It's what it's supposed to be.
02:27But understand this, too.
02:29When you take a look at the teams and you leveled up in competition during the regular season,
02:32yes, the Carolina Panthers did beat the Rams.
02:34That was a game that was in the rain, got a little bit slick late, but credit.
02:37Hey, I'm going to give credit to the Panthers.
02:38They won that.
02:39Joe, when they leveled up in competition this year, Jacksonville, we can agree,
02:41is a pretty good football team.
02:43They lost that game by 16 points.
02:44The Patriots, pretty good football team, 42-13 final.
02:48The Bills, pretty good football team, 40-9 they lost that football game.
02:52And you keep moving it down.
02:53Again, they lost to the Niners, 20-9.
02:55They did beat the Rams, but then you say, okay, well, are they playing well
02:59as they're heading down the stretch in the playoffs?
03:00They got hammered by the Seahawks, 27-10.
03:03Then later they get to Buccaneers.
03:04Don't look at that 16-14.
03:06That was a late touchdown just to get it close here.
03:08They haven't been playing good football, so that 10-and-a-half really sticks out
03:11like a sore thumb now.
03:11It does, and I want to preface something about when they lost earlier in the year.
03:17They had won six straight games prior to that, or five straight.
03:21No, six straight.
03:22They had went on a heater, Donnie.
03:23They beat San Fran, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and then they had an early kick in Carolina
03:30for a 1 p.m. start.
03:32So, again, I'm not suggesting we're taking away from Carolina's performance.
03:36To put up 31 on that defense was a dominant offensive effort out of Bryce Young.
03:42And, again, we've seen high highs at times and low lows.
03:45That's the problem.
03:46And I think when you look at the quarterback perspective, you know that Matt Stafford's
03:50going to bring it.
03:51You know, even at his worst, he's potentially going to throw for .225, .230.
03:56At Bryce Young's worst, we're looking maybe 60, 70, 80 yards, and that could be a blowout.
04:02So that is what we're up against.
04:04But, again, I still think that Carolina throws caution to the wind because they're in this
04:10spot and because they're playing at home.
04:12I think they are a little bit more aggressive.
04:14And I think even if you get turnovers, you could get this total today.
04:18We saw 46-and-a-haves coming to the market.
04:20We're seeing 45-and-a-halves the over now, minus 120 in multiple books.
04:25I think we could get potentially 50 points.
04:28The fact that it's on turf, I still think it's a fast track.
04:31And we'll see how this game plays out.
Comments