Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers
Sunday, 11/13/11, 1:00 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: Carolina -3
Current Betting Line: Carolina -3.5
Opening Total: 45.5
Current Total: 46.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
The Carolina Panthers hope to begin the second half of their season with a victory when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Panthers (2-6) are coming off their bye week following a disappointing home loss to Minnesota while the Titans (4-4) will try to avoid their fourth loss in five games.
Carolina (-3.5, O/U 46.5) fell to Minnesota 24-21 in Week 8 when kicker Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard field goal and led by a touchdown twice in that game. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton had one of his best games as a pro, completing 22 of 35 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. But it was all for naught when Mare’s potential game-tying kick sailed wide left.
The Panthers have failed to beat the spread in two of their last three games after covering in four straight. Still, Newton has kept them in almost every game, throwing for a total of 2,393 yards this season with 11 touchdown passes and seven more scores on the ground. They just have to do a better job of finishing games after blowing second-half leads in five of their six losses. The UNDER is 9-1 in their last 10 games as favorites.
The Titans have struggled following a 3-1 start, dropping three of their last four games. They have been outgained by the opposition in rushing yards in each of those games even though running back Chris Johnson had his second-best effort last week in a 24-17 home loss to Cincinnati.
Johnson rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries against the Bengals after being held to 51 or less in the previous three games. He has totaled more than 53 rushing yards only twice so far this year following a holdout in the preseason due to a contract dispute. Tennessee as a team ranks dead last in the NFL in rushing with just 70 yards per game.
Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck has played better in the last two games with 496 passing yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he has thrown at least one pick in three previous road games this season. They went 1-2 in those games, with the win coming at Cleveland in Week 4, and are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight road games. The OVER has cashed in their past two games away from home and is 8-3 in their last 11 games as underdogs.
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