Week Five
Thursday Night
Philadelphia at Carolina
Carolina seems to be the safe pick here; the offence has been on a roll the past couple of weeks, Cam Newton is playing more like an MVP, the defence has played well, and they're playing at home. I've got a funny feeling about this one, though. The 4-1 Eagles have played well also, particularly on offence. Statistically, Philly's pass defence looks a bit suspect, but a lot of the yards it's given up have been late in games, when opponents have been forced into pass-heavy catch-up mode. Carolina's recent offensive resurgence has been almost exclusively in the passing game; the team has been mostly ineffective running the ball. I believe that Philly's defence should be able to contain Carolina's ground game without devoting extra personnel, allowing the Eagles to focus more on stopping Newton and the Panthers' passing attack. As an extra added micro-advantage, Philadelphia enters this short-rest Thursday contest following an easy victory over the weakling Arizona Cardinals, unlike Carolina, which is coming off a much more competitive tilt against the Detroit Lions.
So, if you're looking for a reason to bet the Eagles, there you go.
Winner: Philadelphia
Thursday Night
Philadelphia at Carolina
Carolina seems to be the safe pick here; the offence has been on a roll the past couple of weeks, Cam Newton is playing more like an MVP, the defence has played well, and they're playing at home. I've got a funny feeling about this one, though. The 4-1 Eagles have played well also, particularly on offence. Statistically, Philly's pass defence looks a bit suspect, but a lot of the yards it's given up have been late in games, when opponents have been forced into pass-heavy catch-up mode. Carolina's recent offensive resurgence has been almost exclusively in the passing game; the team has been mostly ineffective running the ball. I believe that Philly's defence should be able to contain Carolina's ground game without devoting extra personnel, allowing the Eagles to focus more on stopping Newton and the Panthers' passing attack. As an extra added micro-advantage, Philadelphia enters this short-rest Thursday contest following an easy victory over the weakling Arizona Cardinals, unlike Carolina, which is coming off a much more competitive tilt against the Detroit Lions.
So, if you're looking for a reason to bet the Eagles, there you go.
Winner: Philadelphia