49ers vs. Panthers Odds, Picks, and Prediction
49ers vs. Panthers Odds
| 49ers Odds | -6.5 |
| Panthers Odds | +6.5 |
| Over/Under | 40 |
| Date | Sunday, Oct. 9 |
| Time | 4:05 p.m. |
| TV | CBS |
On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will travel to the east coast to take on Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers. Oddsmakers are expecting a relatively easy victory for the 49ers pricing them as 6.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
San Francisco 49ers
On Monday Night Football in Week 4, the San Francisco 49ers played their best game of the young season – defeating their NFC West division rivals by a final score of 24-9. They out-gained the Los Angeles Rams 327-257, but had eight fewer first downs and struggled with time of possession. By the end of the evening, the defense ended up on the field for 34 minutes and 34 seconds, and was forced to play 73 snaps.
On a short week, the offense is unlikely to suffer from any fatigue-related issues. However, the defense could be in trouble in the second half if San Francisco is unable to do a better job controlling the time of possession battle. Not only are the 49ers playing on a short week, but they are also traveling across three time zones to play this contest in Charlotte, North Carolina. Combining these two factors – San Francisco could be less of a lock than the current market price as a touchdown favorite is suggesting.
Carolina Panthers
Through the first month of action, Baker Mayfield ranks 32nd out of 32 qualified signal callers in EPA/play and success rate. He has thrown for less than 200 passing yards in three consecutive games, two of which the Panthers have failed to score more than 16 points. Mayfield’s poor play has stifled the offense as a whole, with the Panthers ranking 31st as a team in EPA/play after four contests. Carolina ranks 32nd in first downs per game, with unfavorable game scripts keeping them from being able to run the ball as often as they would like to. If Carolina can keep this game close, they should be able to involve the running game more in this matchup than previous weeks – which could benefit both sides of the ball for this team.
Though many pundits are ready to write-off the Panthers’ defense as a colossal disappointment this fall, there are more than a few reasons to believe that this group is better than they have shown during the early portion of the schedule. Entering Week 5, Carolina has possessed the ball for a league-worst 24 minutes and 18 seconds per game, which has forced the defense to be on the field for extended periods of time. Thus, the fourth quarter attrition from this unit is somewhat understandable, even if it is not excusable. Carolina’s defense could find more of a breather on Sunday against a San Francisco team that ranks only 13th in time of possession so far in 2022.
49ers vs. Panthers Picks & Predictions
Though not a popular pick, the Carolina Panthers are deserving of bettors’ money on the spread in this spot. Baker Mayfield has been bad, but it is nearly impossible for him to be worse than we have seen across the first month of the regular season. Facing a San Francisco 49ers defense that is playing on a short week, and having to travel across three time zones – Mayfield and company could have a better day than most pundits are anticipating. It is not out of the question that Carolina could find a way to win this game outright if they get a bounce or two in their favor.
PICK: Panthers +7 (-130, DraftKings)
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