Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers Odds & Game Pick

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The Panthers will return home following a humiliating 51-13 loss at San Francisco. Everything seemed to go wrong in that game, as Carolina gifted three turnovers to the 49ers without much hope of stopping running back Tevin Coleman and the San Francisco rushing attack. That snapped an otherwise impressive four-game winning streak for the Panthers, who will be motivated to bounce-back in this home matchup. 

Meanwhile, the Titans have won two straight games since making the move to Ryan Tannehill under center. It’s not that Tannehill has been lighting up opposing defenses, but he’s done just enough to lead the Titans to victory while tossing five touchdowns with one interception over the past two games. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum while getting his first road start for Tennessee this Sunday. 

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Details

• Opening Lines: The spread has marginally increased after opening at Panthers -3.5. The over/under has stayed put at 41. 
• Current Line: Panthers -4 at FanDuel Sportsbook
• O/U: 41 at FanDuel Sportsbook
• Location: Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC
• Start Time: 1:00pm ET
• Television: CBS
• Last Meeting: November 15, 2015 – Panthers defeated the Titans 27-10 in Tennessee

View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Titans at Panthers >>

Overview

Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker and guard Rodger Saffold are highly questionable, so keep that in mind. Losing Saffold would certainly impact the Titans up front … While Tannehill has been impressive for the Titans (see above), their offensive success will likely come down to running back Derrick Henry and the running game. After all, the Panthers rank 31st in the NFL at 5.0 yards per carry allowed. 

On the other side, will quarterback Kyle Allen be able to shake off a horrible performance from last week? While the Titans’ defense is pretty good, it’s not as intimidating as the matchup Allen had to sustain at San Francisco. Relying on the best running back in the game, Christian McCaffrey, is a luxury that should help him through this rough stint. Tennessee ranks ninth in rushing defense, so Carolina will need to find creative ways to get McCaffrey the ball in space. 

Trends

• The Panthers are 7-3 ATS against the AFC over the past two years.
• The Titans are 7-3 ATS against the NFC over the past two years.
• The Panthers are 7-3 to the over against the AFC since 2017. 
• The Titans are 7-3 to the over against the NFC since 2017. 

Prop Bets

Christian McCaffrey OVER 56 Receiving Yards
McCaffrey almost topped this receiving total despite an impossible matchup at San Francisco last week. As mentioned earlier, Tennessee has a top-10 run defense this season. If they are able to contain McCaffrey (at least somewhat) on the ground, the Panthers may have to force-feed their star player in the passing game to give him a chance in space. McCaffrey is averaging 49 receiving yards per contest this season, and I believe this is a situation where he’ll see enough volume to top the 56-yard prop. 

Bottom Line

The Panthers came crashing down to reality last week. While the 51-13 embarrassment certainly stung at the moment, it could actually help them moving forward. I’m expecting Carolina to come out with a chip on their shoulder in front of the home crowd, and they seem like the best side of this wager. It doesn’t hurt that they have one of the only legitimate offensive playmakers (of both teams) as well.

Pick: Panthers -4 at FanDuel Sportsbook

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Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 9

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (+1.5)
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (-4)
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills (-10.5)
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (+3.5)
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs (+2.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks (-5.5)
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (-2.5)
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (+4)
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers (+3.5)
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (+3)
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (+7)

Spencer Limbach is a featured writer at BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Spencer, check out his archive and follow him @spencer_jl.