Teams battling for first place in their division tangle in the Week 12 edition of Monday Night Football when the Carolina Panthers visit the San Francisco 49ers. Winners in five of their last seven games the Panthers trail Tampa Bay by a half game in the NFC South. The game kicks at 8:15 p.m. ET on November 24 from Levi’s Stadium and can be seen on ABC and ESPN.
Panthers at 49ers Preview
With six wins this season the Panthers have nearly matched their total from the previous two years combined and can equal their highest season win total since 2017 with their next victory. They’ve been a tough team to figure out and their inconsistent play could be the one thing that holds them back.
In Week 8 Carolina was blasted 40-9 by Buffalo and followed with a huge upset at Green Bay. In Week 10 they totaled just 175 yards with two turnovers in a 17-7 home loss to the Saints. They followed that with a record-setting performance from Bryce Young matching a season-high point total in their 30-27 OT win over Atlanta. They are 5-2 against the NFL betting odds in their last five games.
- We haven’t seen a lot of why the Panthers drafted Bryce Young first overall in 2023, but his numbers have improved and he had a breakout game against the Falcons last week throwing for a team record 448 yards with 3 TDs in the win.
- The Panthers rank in the bottom third of the NFL in total offense and scoring offense.
- The strength of the offense lies in the 9th ranked ground game with Rico Dowdle leading the way with 833 yards and 5 TDs.
- Carolina is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three road games, including an outright 16-13 win over Green Bay as a 13.5-point underdog.
With Brock Purdy back in the lineup the 49ers cruised to 41-22 win over Arizona last week putting up a season-high point total. I’m not sure how much Purdy had to do with the victory since the Cards were a sloppy mess. Purdy completed 19 of 26 for 200 yards with three TDs with the Niners cashing the OVER in a third straight game.
With three of their top defensive players on the shelf the Niners will have to score plenty of points. Over the last four games in which they are 2-2 SU and ATS, the Niners have allowed an average of nearly 29 points going 3-0-1 on the OVER. Arizona was the only one of the four not to exceed its season scoring average.
- Facing the team that drafted him for the first time since being traded, Christian McCaffrey enters as the NFL leader in yards from scrimmage with more than 700 rushing and receiving. McCaffrey scored three TDs last week and is tied for second in the NFL with 11.
- The Niners are 1-3 ATS in their four home games and 2-6 in their last eight.
- With Eddy Pineiro injured in last week’s game, the Niners will likely have a new kicker for this game, though we don’t know who at this time.
Panthers at 49ers Predictions
The Niners took advantage of some sloppy play by Arizona last week helping them score 41 points. It’s hard to expect that generosity in consecutive games, and the Panthers have been more disciplined. Carolina has also upped its game on defense moving from last in points allowed a season ago to 12th. This game has the potential to go UNDER the total.
Panthers at 49ers Betting Tips
- The Niners opened at -7 on the NFL betting line with a moneyline price of -435.
- The Panthers are 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three road games when catching at least 7 points on the closing line.
- Carolina is +258 on the moneyline and has two straight upset road wins.
- The total came out at 48.5 which would match the highest in a Panthers game this season. Carolina cashed the OVER in the two games that closed at 48.5.
Panthers at 49ers Head to Head and Key Stats
- The Niners won the last two meetings outscoring Carolina 88-28.
- Prior to that, the Panthers had won two in a row and six of seven matchups going 6-1 ATS. The only loss during that span was in the 2018 playoffs.
- The last five matchups have all been decided by 13 points or more with the teams cashing the OVER in three of the last four.
- Bryce Young and Brock Purdy will face the opposing team for the first time.
