The 3-8-0 Carolina Panthers host the 3-7-0 Denver Broncos at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers have a point spread of +2.0 with a money line of +110. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 36 points.
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Denver Broncos (-2.0)Record: 3-7-0 |
Carolina Panthers (+2.0)Record: 3-8-0 |
Carolina Panthers Offense:
The Panthers are coached by Matt Rhule who has been with the team since 2020. They have a current season record of 3-8-0 after going 5-12 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Matt Rhule is no different.
P.J. Walker is the quarterback for the Panthers. The 27-year-old Temple alum entered the league in 2017 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 5 games and thrown for 731 yards with a completion percentage of 59.4 percent. P.J. Walker has thrown 3 touchdowns despite 3 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 78.
His main target will be D.J. Moore. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 25-year-old target. He has made 42 receptions to date on 82 targets, a catch percentage of 51.2%, for a total of 502 yards. D.J. Moore is averaging 12 yards per catch with 3 touchdowns thus far. P.J. Walker will be looking to connect with him for more here.
The Panthers running game is lead by the 26-year-old D’Onta Foreman. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 102 carries and rushed for 450 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 40.9 YPG, a number that you know Matt Rhule would love to see him exceed in this game. D’Onta Foreman has 4 touchdowns this season and 0 fumbles.
Overall, the Carolina Panthers offense ranks 30 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at -22.0%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 30 with a Passing DVOA of -18.7%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of -30.5%, ranking #32 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.52 with 13 Red Zone touchdowns in 25 attempts.
Carolina Panthers Defense/Special Teams:
On the defensive end, the Panthers have a Defense DVOA of 5.3%, ranking 21 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #21 at 5.4% and they’ll need them to show up against Russell Wilson. The Matt Rhule-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of 5.4%, #21 out of thirty two teams.
Their kicker is Eddy Pineiro who has made 19 of 21 field goals this season, a 90.5% field goal percentage, with a long of 54 yards. The Carolina Panthers fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.
Denver Broncos Offense:
The Broncos are on the road for this one. Nathaniel Hackett’s squad is 3-7-0 this season after going 7-10 last year. He has been at the helm since 2022 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Denver Broncos have a betting line of -2.0 or you could bet them straight up at -130.
34-year-old Russell Wilson will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2012 after playing his college days at Wisconsin. Russell Wilson has a quarterback rating of 83.3 on 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He’s started 9 games and thrown for 2227yards, a completion percentage of 59.5.
Melvin Gordon is the lead back for the Broncos running game. The 29-year-old has taken 90 carries and rushed for 318 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 31.8 YPG and he has scored 2 touchdowns with 5 fumbles.
On the passing front, Russell Wilson will look to target Courtland Sutton against the Nathaniel Hackett defense. Courtland Sutton has 1 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 80 times and made 46 catches for 613 yards. Courtland Sutton has a catch percentage of 57.5% and his yards per reception is 13.3.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Denver Broncos offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of -16.1% which ranks at number 28 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -10.8%, the number 26 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 25 with a Rush DVOA total of -2.6%.
If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 8 Red Zone touchdowns on 22 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.364.
Denver Broncos Defense/Special Teams:
The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Brandon McManus to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 55 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Brandon McManus has made 19 field goals on 55 attempts, a field goal percentage of 79.2%.
The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Broncos with a Defensive DVOA of -12.0% which ranks at 5/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.
Against the pass they rank at #21 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of 5.4%. Comparatively, the run defense has a -7.8% DVOA which ranks at #21.
Key Match-ups:
- P.J. Walker QB Rating of 78 vs. Denver Broncos Pass DVOA Defense of -10.8%
The Broncos have 6 interceptions this year and 26 sacks. They are allowing 17.1 points per game. - D’Onta Foreman vs. Denver Broncos number 25 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
Opponents are averaging 4.7 yards per carry against the the Denver Broncos and 115.3 per game. - Russell Wilson QB Rating of 83.3 vs. Carolina Panthers #21 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
The Panthers defense has allowed 23.3 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 22 times and picked him off 8 times. - Melvin Gordon vs. Carolina Panthers 11.6% DVOA Rush Defense
The Panthers are giving up 137 YPG on 4.5 per carry thus far this season.
Broncos/Panthers Bettting Stats:
Broncos Against the spread: 3-5-0
Broncos Over/Under: 1-7-0
Panthers Against the spread: 3-6-0
Panthers Over/Under: 4-5-0
The best bet is Denver Broncos -2.0 and Under 36.