The 4-4-0 Cincinnati Bengals host the 2-6-0 Carolina Panthers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals have a point spread of -8 with a money line of -350. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 42.5 points.
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Carolina Panthers (+8)Record: 2-6-0 |
Cincinnati Bengals (-8)Record: 4-4-0 |
Cincinnati Bengals Offense:
The Bengals are coached by Zac Taylor who has been with the team since 2019. They have a current season record of 4-4-0 after going 10-7 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Zac Taylor is no different.
Joe Burrow is the quarterback for the Bengals. The 26-year-old LSU alum entered the league in 2020 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 8 games and thrown for 2329 yards with a completion percentage of 69.2 percent. Joe Burrow has thrown 17 touchdowns despite 6 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 101.9.
His main target will be Ja’Marr Chase. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 22-year-old target. He has made 47 receptions to date on 74 targets, a catch percentage of 63.5%, for a total of 605 yards. Ja’Marr Chase is averaging 12.9 yards per catch with 6 touchdowns thus far. Joe Burrow will be looking to connect with him for more here.
The Bengals running game is lead by the 26-year-old Joe Mixon. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 129 carries and rushed for 432 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 54 YPG, a number that you know Zac Taylor would love to see him exceed in this game. Joe Mixon has 2 touchdowns this season and 0 fumbles.
Overall, the Cincinnati Bengals offense ranks 17 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at 0.7%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 11 with a Passing DVOA of 4.3%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of 13.8%, ranking #14 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.652 with 15 Red Zone touchdowns in 23 attempts.
Cincinnati Bengals Defense/Special Teams:
On the defensive end, the Bengals have a Defense DVOA of -5.7%, ranking 9 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #11 at -2.8% and they’ll need them to show up against P.J. Walker. The Zac Taylor-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of -2.8%, #7 out of thirty two teams.
Their kicker is Evan McPherson who has made 11 of 14 field goals this season, a 78.6% field goal percentage, with a long of 59 yards. The Cincinnati Bengals fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.
Carolina Panthers Offense:
The Panthers are on the road for this one. Matt Rhule’s squad is 2-6-0 this season after going 5-12 last year. He has been at the helm since 2020 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Carolina Panthers have a betting line of +8 or you could bet them straight up at +280.
27-year-old P.J. Walker will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2017 after playing his college days at Temple. P.J. Walker has a quarterback rating of 93.4 on 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. He’s started 3 games and thrown for 614yards, a completion percentage of 62.5.
Chuba Hubbard is the lead back for the Panthers running game. The 23-year-old has taken 15 carries and rushed for 97 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 13.9 YPG and he has scored 1 touchdowns with 1 fumbles.
On the passing front, P.J. Walker will look to target D.J. Moore against the Matt Rhule defense. D.J. Moore has 3 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 65 times and made 33 catches for 425 yards. D.J. Moore has a catch percentage of 50.8% and his yards per reception is 12.9.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Carolina Panthers offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of -14.7% which ranks at number 28 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -11.5%, the number 28 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 32 with a Rush DVOA total of -23.8%.
If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 9 Red Zone touchdowns on 19 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.474.
Carolina Panthers Defense/Special Teams:
The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Eddy Pineiro to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 54 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Eddy Pineiro has made 14 field goals on 54 attempts, a field goal percentage of 87.5%.
The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Panthers with a Defensive DVOA of 2.7% which ranks at 18/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.
Against the pass they rank at #11 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of -2.8%. Comparatively, the run defense has a 2.5% DVOA which ranks at #7.
Key Match-ups:
- Joe Burrow QB Rating of 101.9 vs. Carolina Panthers Pass DVOA Defense of -11.5%
The Panthers have 6 interceptions this year and 12 sacks. They are allowing 23.3 points per game. - Joe Mixon vs. Carolina Panthers number 32 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
Opponents are averaging 4.2 yards per carry against the the Carolina Panthers and 126.6 per game. - P.J. Walker QB Rating of 93.4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals #11 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
The Bengals defense has allowed 20.5 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 14 times and picked him off 6 times. - Chuba Hubbard vs. Cincinnati Bengals -4.8% DVOA Rush Defense
The Bengals are giving up 125.6 YPG on 4.4 per carry thus far this season.
Panthers/Bengals Bettting Stats:
Panthers Against the spread: 3-5-0
Panthers Over/Under: 3-5-0
Bengals Against the spread: 5-3-0
Bengals Over/Under: 2-5-1
The best bet is Cincinnati Bengals -8 and Under 42.5.