The 2017 online NFL betting season kicks off once again this Thursday with an eye-catching NFC matchup that is certain to play a hand in determining who the true No. 1 in the conference is. The Eagles are the current leaders in the NFC East and will be vying to maintain that lead this Thursday. Considering they share a division with the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles are going to need all the wins they can get. Similarly, the Panthers are currently holding down the NFC South but will need to rack up as many W’s as possible if they are to beat out the reigning NFC Champions for a division title. Let’s take a look at what USA sportsbooks are predicting will go down this Thursday.
Betting Philadelphia
The Eagles fly into this Week 6 matchup flashing a 4-1 record that, as previously mentioned, ranks them 1st in the NFC East. The Birds lone loss of the season came at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that is widely considered the frontrunner in the AFC. With that in mind, it would be no understatement to say that this year’s Philadelphia squad is for real. Granted, this Thursday will be one of the toughest tests the Eagles have faced all season.
The Eagles’ offense can match up well against Carolina’s own. However, it will be up to Philadelphia’s defense to put their franchise in a situation to win the game. Philadelphia currently has the NFL’s 6th best scoring offense, 3rd best total offense, 9th best passing offense and the 5th best running game. But since the Birds rank sub-20 in total and pass defense, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see this game turn into a bit of a shootout.
Ultimately it might fall in the hands of Carson Wentz, the Eagles’ second year quarterback that has long been hailed as the future of the franchise. Wentz currently has 10 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 1,362 yards and a 97.7 passer rating to his name.
Betting Carolina
Like the Eagles, Carolina is also sitting on a 4-1 record that ranks them 1st in the NFC South. The Falcons are the biggest threat in the division at 3-1 (Atlanta had a Bye during Week 5) so the Panthers cannot afford a loss this Thursday. However, the Panthers are coming off a big time 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on the road that has left this team confident and ready to get it done once again.
The online sportsbook odds are pegging the Panthers as the favorites and it’ll be interesting to see how that prediction turns out. Carolina comes into this Week 6 matchup with the league’s 18th best scoring offense, 18th best total offense, 17th best passing offense and 19th best running game. Those are respectable numbers but they don’t reflect the explosiveness that we’ve come to expect out of Carolina. Nonetheless, Cam Newton has been playing exceptionally well as of late. In his last two games Newton has thrown for over 600 yards, 6 touchdowns, and even 1 rushing touchdown. Now that’s the Newton we remember from 2015.
USA Sportsbook Odds:
Philadelphia Eagles +3 ½ (-111) 46 (-110) +151
Carolina Panthers -3 ½ (-109) 46 (-110) -175
