This week’s Monday Night Football game is unique in the betting world, as the lines will depend on the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback situation. Cam Newton left last weeks game with a concussion, and it is unclear if he will be cleared to play in this one. They will be hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Panthers currently sit at a disappointing 1-3 record. A week ago they suffered a 48-33 loss in Atlanta to the Falcons. Derek Anderson came in for Newton following his concussion and threw for 172 yards on 17 completions. Two of those went for touchdowns. Defensively, the team has not lived up to the hype this season. They gave up 48 points a week ago, 22 the week before and 27 against San Francisco in week two. For a team that was expected to be in contention for the Super Bowl this year, they have pretty much been a total bust. Newton’s availability in this game could be the difference in the game.
The Bucs also sit at 1-3 on the season. They are on a three-game losing streak, and the offense has been underwhelming is several of their games. Their losses have come against the likes of the Cardinals, the Rams, and the Broncos. The Cardinals blew them to pieces, which is not a good sign considering how poor the team has been as a whole. This game being on the road will not help the Bucs. While they are without running back Doug Martin, the loss of Cam Newton would be a much bigger loss in the game.
So with Newton’s status up in the air, there is no real way to make any betting predictions. Given the Panthers are home, I would expect them to play a better game than they have been this season. Anderson looked decent enough a week ago to where he should be able to keep them in the game against the under-performing Bucs.
For all week five NFL Spreads and Over/Under’s, check out our NFL week 5 Betting Odds master-sheet here.
Line:, O/U: – Both not currently available given Cam Newton’s injury
Pick:
Result: TB 17 – Car 14