Panthers vs. Cardinals: NFL Week 10 betting odds, preview, and pick

The Carolina Panthers will look to get back on the winning path this weekend when they travel to Arizona for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Cardinals.

Let's examine this matchup, beginning with the latest betting odds available.

Panthers have serious question marks at quarterback

Sam Darnold is likely out for a while, and many Carolina fans will not be upset to hear that news. The Panthers, after starting 3-0 on the season, have lost five of their last six, including a 24-6 defeat at home to New England last weekend. In those six games, Darnold has thrown 10 interceptions, including three last week, and he has thrown for less than 200 yards in four of his last five games—the one outlier being an overtime game.

Now, the Panthers have reportedly signed veteran Matt Barkley, as Darnold had an MRI on his shoulder Monday that revealed a fractured shoulder blade. PJ Walker will likely be the starter against Arizona, and his performance has been uninspiring as well, as he has completed just three of 15 passes. Adding to the problems, whoever starts at quarterback will do so with a new center, as Matt Paradis was lost to a season-ending injury on Sunday.

The return of running back Christian McCaffrey should help a bit, as he and rookie Chuba Hubbard give the Panthers a decent duo, but penalties have put Carolina in multiple must-throw scenarios this season. Their 65 penalties are tied for the most in the NFL, and they had 10 of them against New England. They also have not scored a touchdown in their last 36 possessions, including a pair of short-field situations last weekend that saw them take over inside the Patriots’ 35-yard line and come away with field goals on each.

Cardinals roll without their big guns

No Kyler Murray? No DeAndre Hopkins? No problem for the Cardinals on Sunday, as they trounced the 49ers 31-17 in San Francisco. A game in which Arizona led 17-0 and 31-7, the Cardinals got big games from backup quarterback Colt McCoy and running back James Connor, who rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Murray was a game-time decision, and McCoy stepped up to complete 22-of-26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over.

Murray and Hopkins are expected to return this weekend, while wide receiver AJ Green is expected to miss a second straight game due to injury. Should Murray be out again, the Cardinals can take solace in McCoy’s performance on the road, and also in the showing they got on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona forced three interceptions and sacked 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo five times in the win.

More importantly, they held up well against the run, holding San Francisco to just 39 yards on 11 carries. They will need a similar performance against Carolina, who will look to rely on McCaffrey and Hubbard to take pressure off whoever is taking snaps. If they can shut down the run, it will force either Walker or Barkley to face their intimidating pass rush, which is sixth-best in the NFL in sack frequency.

Panthers and Cardinals Betting Trends

• The Panthers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games
• The Under is 10-2 in Carolina’s last 12 games
• The Panthers are 13-5 SU in 18 games against the Cardinals
• The Cardinals are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games
• The Under is 4-1 in Arizona’s last five home games
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the spread in their last five meetings with the Panthers

Arizona's relentless pass rush will be too much to handle

Arizona is rolling and their defense is a nightmare for quarterbacks to deal with. Even if you can run the ball on them, strong quarterback play is needed to beat them as Green Bay showed. More importantly, solid defensive play is vital in slowing them down enough to hang around with them.

Carolina has the defense to slow down Arizona’s passing game, but their run defense is middle of the road, and the Patriots wore them down last week with 39 carries to support a mediocre passing attack. Arizona has more weapons in the air than New England did, and a quarterback who can hurt them more with his legs, should Murray go as expected.

The biggest issue for Carolina is no matter who takes the snaps on Sunday, they have to face a relentless pass rush behind an offensive line that has allowed the third-most sacks per game on the road this season, with their quarterbacks being sacked nearly 10% of the time they drop back away from home.

Given the uncertainty and poor play of the quarterback position for Carolina, I don’t like them to score much this weekend, which makes it much easier for me to lay the points and take Arizona to cover the spread. Buy the hook and take Arizona -9.5 this weekend, and pair it with a low-scoring Carolina team total for a solid Same Game Combo wager.  

Score prediction: Cardinals 27, Panthers 10

NFL Week 10 PICK: CARDINALS -10.5 (-118)

SAME GAME COMBO: CARDINALS -9.5/PANTHERS TEAM TOTAL U16.5 (+140)

Panthers vs. Cardinals pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Cardinals to win outright.