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The Vikings-Panthers betting odds opened at -4 in favor of Carolina with the line only moving a half point down.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Panthers -3.5 (even) & 48
Opening Line & Total: Carolina -4 & 47
It’s a matchup of rookie quarterbacks when the Panthers host the slumping Vikings on Sunday.
Carolina’s Cam Newton would appear to have a significant advantage over Minnesota’s Christian Ponder in this one. Newton has proven he’s for real, and the Carolina passing game should have no problem against an injury-depleted Vikings secondary. The Panthers have a leaky run defense, but they’ll be able to stack the box with Ponder making his first career road start. The Vikings have been outscored 85-44 on the road this year, and a lot of Ponder’s big plays in his first start came due to improvisation against a Packers defense that has given up more passing yards than any team in the NFL. The Panthers are 5-2 ATS with Newton, while Minnesota is 3-10 ATS as an underdog since the start of 2010.
The Panthers continue to get little respect, even after they dismantled a decent Redskins team 33-20 at home in Week 7. Newton connected on 18-of-23 pass attempts for 256 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring his seventh rushing TD of the season. WR Steve Smith continues his resurgence within his new offense. He leads the NFL with 818 receiving yards, gaining 143 of those yards against Washington. Carolina has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of its past four games, but the team lost another offensive lineman when OT Jeff Otah (back) was placed on Injured Reserve. He joins fellow OLs Geoff Schwartz (hip) and Zach Williams on IR.
Carolina’s rush defense has been subpar, ranking 29th in the NFL (133 YPG), but that number is skewed a bit, as only two of seven opponents have gained more than 130 yards on the ground. The Panthers have allowed a respectable 111 rushing YPG in four home games this year. The defensive numbers will surely improve if they can make more plays on the football. Carolina forced only five turnovers in its first six games, but tallied three takeaways against the Redskins.
Ponder completed just 40.6 percent of his passes and tossed two interceptions in the loss to Green Bay, but he also threw for 219 yards and 2 TD in his first NFL start last week. Adrian Peterson has been the lone bright spot on the 1-6 Vikings, leading the NFL with 712 rushing yards after a 175-yard performance against the Packers. However, he was held to 35 yards on 12 carries the last time he faced Carolina during a 26-7 loss in 2009. Peterson is dealing with a bad ankle, but is expected to start on Sunday. Three other key offensive players may not be in uniform against the Panthers, as WR Percy Harvin (ribs), WR Bernard Berrian (disciplinary) and OG Anthony Herrera (knee) are all listed as questionable.
The defense also has its share of questions, especially in the secondary, as CB Antoine Winfield (neck), S Jamarca Sanford (concussion) and CB Chris Cook (legal trouble) are all considered questionable to play on Sunday. These potential absences will further deplete a passing defense giving up the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL (275 YPG). On a positive note, Minnesota’s run defense remains excellent, allowing just 88 YPG (4th in the league). No opponent has reached 120 rushing yards against the Vikings this year.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
