Panthers vs Bucs NFL Football Spread/Handicapping
With Cam Newton leading the way the Carolina Panthers were among the most improved teams of 2011.
With Cam Newton leading the way the Carolina Panthers were among the most improved teams of 2011.
As I start writing this I am struck by the fact that the only reason we know anything about this team is because of Hard Knocks – if people still watch it (there is no juice with the franchise right now).
The 49ers were so good last year that everyone is expecting a letdown. Some think they will be undone by not being able to repeat their phenomenal turnover ratio and others that Alex Smith isn’t possibly going to become a steady performer over the long term.
The New England Patriots were one or two plays away from winning another Super Bowl last season. The team comes into the season as one of the favorites to win it this year.
St. Louis The Rams might have been the worst team in the league last year and I am doubtful they have done much to improve themselves.
The Jets have not had a good off-season and their preseason was not much better averaging only 8.5 points in their preseason games. The Bills had a great start to last season before flaming out in the 2nd half and they have high hopes coming into this season.
In the opening game for this season the Jags and Vikings may be without their biggest stars, as Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew are questionable.
The Falcons have been solid in the last couple of years, but have flamed out in the playoffs. Matt Ryan is one of the better QB’s in the league and he may be tested in this game facing a solid Kansas City secondary.
The Saints have Drew Brees under center and a great offense, but can they get over the distractions of Bountygate as well as the recent hurricane in the Big Easy?
The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t even make the playoffs last year after dubbing themselves as the “Dream Team” in the preseason. The team is clearly very talented, and they are looking to prove that last year was a fluke.
The Andrew Luck era begins Sunday at Soldier Field. There was so much talk about teams tanking last season to get him, and the Colts ended up with him as their franchise quarterback. How will he handle stepping right into the starting spot?
Last season’s Hall of Game was cancelled due to the labor dispute, but this year the NFL is all ready to go this Sunday night. The Cardinals and Saints will kick off the NFL Preseason schedule with this showdown.
In a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, the New York Giants square-off against the New England Patriots in a prime-time battle for the NFL’s biggest prize. This Sunday’s game will be played inside the dome at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis with the kick-off slated for 6:29 p.m. (ET)
This season’s NFL playoff field of 12 teams has been pared down to the final four for this Sunday’s conference championships. The winner from the AFC and the NFC will advance on to Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI.
For just the third time since 2000, all four home teams won straight-up in last weekend’s Wildcard Round of the NFL playoffs. Three of four favorites won and covered, with Denver being the lone underdog to win straight-up.
Week 17 in the NFL closed out the regular season with 11 home teams covering against the spread verse just five road teams. The favorites had a 10-6 edge over the underdogs and nine games went ‘over’ the total while the other seven stayed ‘under’.