Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals Odds, Pick, Prediction: Can Kyler Murray Carry Cardinals to .500?

Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals Odds, Pick, Prediction: Can Kyler Murray Carry Cardinals to .500?

Baker Mayfield and co. got their first win of the season last week, knocking off the saints on their home turf. The Panthers are now 1-2 on the season, joining their opponents this Sunday in the Cardinals. The Cardinals are 1-2 on the season after a loss against the Rams last week. They now take the road as a slight underdog, as the books have the Cardinals catching one point and +100 on the moneyline. Can the Cardinals bounce back? Or will the Panthers notch back-to-back wins?

Panthers vs. Cardinals Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: Sunday, October 2
• Time: 4:05 pm ET
• Where to Watch: FOX

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Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals Prediction

As good as it was for the Panthers to get their first win of the season, there are still issues on the offense. Despite scoring 22 points, Baker threw for only 170 yards while completing on 12 of 25 attempts. The story of the game was Carolina's defense which forced three turnovers, with two being picks off Jameis Winston. So while the Panthers moved to 1-2, it was really the defense the win can be mainly attributed to.

Perhaps one of the bigger storylines in this game is the status of star running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey missed two practices this week, but he is expected to play at the time of writing. However, it is safe to assume he will not be close to 100%. This is massive, as McCaffrey is the heartbeat of the offense. Chuba Hubbard is the backup, and he is a significant drop-off from McCaffrey. The Panthers are 30th in passing DVOA and 9th in rushing DVOA, so a less-than-100% McCaffrey could prove to be pivotal in this game.

On the other side, the Cardinals have also been struggling, but their resume has been tougher to this point. The Cardinals have played the Chiefs, Raiders, and the defending Super Bowl champs in the Rams. The one game they were expected to win, they did against the Raiders. As a result of their schedule, some of their metrics have been skewed. While they sit 31st in overall defensive DVOA, they have played two of the top offenses in the league in the Chiefs and Rams. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has also been highly profitable as an underdog, going 19-9-2 ATS when catching points.

Both teams sit at 1-2 while Baker Mayfield has played against Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett, and Daniel Jones. On the flip side, Kyler Murray has faced Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Matthew Stafford. Record-wise, these teams look similar, but the Cardinals are the superior team on paper. The metrics are skewed due to the difference in the strength of schedules through three games. Add in the fact that head coach Matt Rhule has reportedly "lost the locker room," and this Panthers team is in rough shape. Don't be fooled by the Panthers beating the beat-up Saints with the defense winning the game. Kyler Murray is the better quarterback here, and this is a get-right game for the Cardinals. Back the road dogs to get it done in Charlotte today.

Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals Pick

• 2U Pick: Cardinals ML @ +100 (Bet $100 to win $100)