It looks as if the Carolina Panthers are going to take a different track than most NFL teams are accustomed to doing in the second game of the pre-season. For the defending NFC South champions, there are a few people to break back into the lineup as they do battle against the Kansas City Chiefs in football betting action that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The Panthers were one of the best defensive teams in the league in 2013, allowing just 15.1 points per game and rallying to a division title before losing in the wild card round. Still, the performance was enough to win Ron Rivera coach of the year recognition in most corners.
The Chiefs also kind of came out of nowhere. The difference was another coach of the year candidate, Andy Reid, who resurrected his own career by getting his club to take care of the ball. They shocked the league by winning their first nine games, but then the schedule caught up to them. In the end, they were 11-5 and lost a thriller to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.
Last week they were involved in another wild one, as they beat Cincinnati 41-39. The Panthers lost their pre-season opener at home to the Buffalo Bills 20-18.
In the football betting odds that have been placed on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the Panthers are the home favorites:
NFL Football Betting Odds Courtesy of BetAnySports USA Sportsbook
Carolina Panthers -3 (+100)
Kansas City Chiefs +3 (-120)
Over 41 Points -110
Under 41 Points -110
The Panthers are going to be using this game to give starters extended playing time – a “dress rehearsal,” if you will. That is the intention of Rivera, and that is quite interesting in that Sunday’s night encounter also provides the first action for some of the veteran skill players, such as running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and quarterback Cam Newton, who had ankle surgery in March. They were all held out of the opener, as BetAnySports customers may have noticed.
If everybody on the first unit goes 40 plays – which means they will be in there until sometime in the third quarter – that could give them a significant advantage over the Chiefs, which is a significant thing for football bettors to know. That is, unless Reid elects to give his own starters a lot of time. The Chiefs did not get a whole lot out of Alex Smith last week, and they have expressed that they would like him to get the all down the field a little more, but Chase Daniel has proven to be a very capable backup in these situations.
One thing BetAnySports patrons can count on is that there will be a spirited battle for some wide receiver spots, and certainly somebody is going to have to start the season opener in place of Dwayne Bowe, who has been issued a one-game suspension by the NFL for a violation of the substance abuse policy. Perhaps Kansas City’s point total was a tiny bit deceiving, in that one of their touchdowns came on an 80-yard punt return by running back hopeful De’Anthony Thomas, with another coming on an interception return.
Get the widest selection of football betting odds and props at BetAnySports, and remember that you can always bet on these games in progress with Live Betting Extra!