Arizona vs Carolina (ARI -5, 47.5)
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Arizona vs Carolina
The Arizona Cardinals travel to Bank of America Stadium this weekend to take on Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals, 7-7 and third in the NFC West, are desperate for a win, barely holding on to their playoff hopes. Arizona currently has an 11% chance to make the playoffs, a percentage that could fall to just 3% with a loss this weekend. While the Panthers are just 3-11, fourth in the NFC South, and have absolutely no chance of reaching the postseason, they have been playing some of their best football of the season in recent weeks and will try to ruin the Cardinals’ aspirations.
The Panthers head into this one on a four-game losing streak after a 30-14 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Bryce Young, who was quickly labeled a bust after his disastrous debut season, is starting to pick up a bit of confidence in this Carolina Offense. He has thrown for at least 200 passing yards in three of his last four games, which included three one-possession losses against some of the top teams in the NFL, including the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Young's play has instilled some confidence in Panther fans, their offense is still one of the least efficient in the NFL. They average just 17.6 points per game this season, 28th in the NFL, to go along with 288.9 total yards of offense per game, second-worst across the league. Their completion percentage is bottom-five at just 61.78%, and their offense averages just 186 passing yards per game, 29th in the NFL. Their run game is slightly better, with running back Chuba Hubbard solidifying himself as the starter for the foreseeable future. Hubbard has tallied 1,043 yards on the ground this season, which is good for seventh in the NFL, although they average just 102.9 rushing yards per game this season, which is 24th in the NFL.
Right on track with their extremely subpar offense is their hideous defense, arguably the worst in the NFL. Carolina allows the most points per game in the NFL at 29.9, the second most yards per game at 386.2, and the most rushing yards per game at 173. The injuries on their defensive line have been evident, and teams have been abusing their weak run defense, as teams rush an average of 34.6 times a game against the Panthers, the most in the NFL.
The Cardinals should have a great shot at improving their playoff chances, with running back James Conner leading the backfield and dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray under center. Arizona ranks third in the NFL in yards per rush at 5.1 and seventh in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 141.5. Conner has rushed for at least 100 yards in five games this season and is just 27 yards shy of hitting the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
The Cardinals defense has been mediocre this year, and will need to step up, especially in their secondary, if they would like to make a playoff push. Arizona allows a 70.09% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks, the second-worst in the NFL. They also allow 217 passing yards per game, and 7.4 yards per pass, 26th in the NFL.
The Cardinals have won five of their last eight and are currently 4.5-point favorites this weekend in Charlotte. As long as they play their brand of football, they should have no problem blasting through the injury-riddled Carolina defense.
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CARDINALS TEAM TOTAL OVER 26.5