There weren’t too many online football betting fans that could’ve predicted the blunder that has been the Carolina Panthers season. After coming so close to an undefeated season, and coming even closer to a Super Bowl win, the entire NFL was expecting the Panthers to pick up exactly where they left off. But now that we’re entering Week 9, it’s clear that Carolina is not quite the same team that we saw all season long in 2015. We’ve seen the Panthers struggle across the board; their defense isn’t as ferocious as last season and their offense doesn’t have a fifth of the explosiveness they were famous for. In fact, the Panthers have been so pitiful this season that they’ve only won two games this season. And that includes this past weekend’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. Although the Panthers won that game, they had a fair share of complaints after the contest was completed. But before we get started on that tangent, let’s take a look at the odds most NFL betting sites are giving Carolina in their next contest.
NFL Odds – Week 9 – Sunday, November 6th
Carolina Panthers -3 (-115) 45 ½ (-110)
Los Angeles Rams +3 (-105) 45 ½ (-110)
Even though the Rams have more wins than the Panthers, the online football betting odds are still siding with them this Sunday. But it’s not surprising, the Rams have just lost three in a row and Jeff Fisher is on his way to becoming Mr. 7-9 once more.
Back to the complaints the Panthers had after their win this past weekend. Cam Newton is the reigning MVP, therefore his talents are unquestionable. But another thing that can’t be denied is the amount of hits that Newton takes. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers get some of the most favorable calls in the NFL. In other words, defenders make sure to use caution around those quarterbacks because referees will not hesitate to throw a flag. But the online football betting community has seen Cam Newton take hits that would easily have drawn a 15-yard penalty if the hit was against Brady, but because Newton is bigger, tougher, and more versatile, the refs just refuse to throw the flag. We’ve seen this from the moment Newton stepped onto the field at the beginning of the year and the trend has not stopped. This past weekend was no exception. Newton took a low hit that could have done some serious to his knees and the media was in agreement that it was an illegal hit. After the game Newton expressed his distrust for referees and went on to elaborate on the type of behavior that he’s been experiencing. Some NFL players have been critical of Newton, but the fact of the matter remains; Newton is treated differently than any other quarterback in the NFL.
