Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers Matchup

Read our Cardinals vs Panthers pick and preview for this NFL pre-season week 16 game in Charlotte. Check out who we like to win and cover the spread in this regular season NFL matchup.

The over/under line is set at 47 points for the week 16 matchup between the Cardinals and Panthers. The Panthers are +171 on the money line, while the Cardinals are favored by -207 on the road. Arizona is favored by -4 points as the Panthers look to improve their record, and the game is being televised on FOX at 1:00 ET.

Cardinals vs. Panthers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
Where: Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds ARI -4, ARI -207 | CAR +171 O/U 47

Cardinals Preview:

After three straight losses, the Cardinals got back to .500 with a 30-17 win over the Patriots in week 15. Arizona entered the game as 6-point favorites and covered the spread, bringing their ATS record to 9-5. They’ve been better as underdogs this season, going 6-2 in those games. The over hit in two straight Cardinals games, including week 15, when the teams combined for 47 points, just over the 46.5-point line.

Heading into week 16, the Cardinals have a 12.6% chance of making the playoffs and a 12.2% chance of winning the NFC West. They rank 14th in our NFL power rankings. Arizona is 7-7 overall, 2-2 in division games, and 3-6 in conference games. They are 5-3 at home and 2-4 on the road.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Kyler Murray has improved his passer rating in each of the last three games, posting a 97.0 in week 15 after going 23/30 for 224 yards against the Patriots. He avoided turnovers after throwing two interceptions in weeks 13 and 14. James Conner rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in week 15, while Trey McBride led the team in receiving with 9 catches for 87 yards.

Arizona ranks 12th in our offensive power rankings and is 13th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 22.4 points per game. They are 11th in the league in passing yards per game (351.4) and 6th in rushing, with 141.5 yards per game. The Cardinals are 9th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, converting 42.9% of their attempts.

Cardinals Team Defense

In their 30-17 win over the Patriots, the Cardinals' defense allowed just a 34% third down conversion rate. They gave up 116 rushing yards on 24 attempts but were tough against the pass, allowing just 195 yards through the air. New England completed 82.6% of their passes, but Arizona limited big plays, giving up just 8.5 yards per attempt.

The Cardinals' defense came up with one interception and two sacks in the game. They also led in both tackles for loss and quarterback hit differentials.

Panthers Preview:

With a 3-11 record, the Panthers sit at the bottom of our power rankings heading into week 16. Carolina has now dropped four straight games, including a 30-14 home loss to the Cowboys in week 15. The Panthers were 2.5-point favorites in that matchup, but they couldn’t get the win, officially eliminating them from playoff contention.

Carolina is 6-8 against the spread this season, with all six of their covers coming as underdogs. Their O/U record stands at 10-4, with their games averaging 47.5 points (compared to an average line of 43.1).

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 16, the Panthers rank 27th in our offensive power rankings. They are 25th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game, and 30th in total offense with 288.9 yards per game. Carolina ranks 15th in passing attempts but is 29th in passing yards, averaging 186 per game. On the ground, they are 23rd in rushing attempts and 22nd in rushing yards, with 102.9 per game. The Panthers are 26th in the league in 3rd-down conversions, converting 34.7% of their attempts, but they are 11th in red zone conversion percentage.

Bryce Young threw for 219 yards in week 15, completing 19 of 28 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked six times. Chuba Hubbard led the team in rushing with 32 yards on 10 carries, and Jalen Coker had 4 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Carolina scored 7 points in the 2nd and 4th quarters against Dallas but failed to score in the 1st and 3rd quarters.

Panthers Team Defense

In their 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, the Panthers' defense allowed 410 total yards and struggled to stop the run, giving up 211 rushing yards on 40 attempts. Despite limiting Dallas to 199 passing yards, they did allow three passing touchdowns. Carolina's defense also struggled on third down, allowing the Cowboys to convert 50% of their third down attempts.

The Panthers' defense managed just one sack in the game and lost the battle in both QB hits (-7) and tackles for loss differentials (-6). This contributed to the defense's overall struggles in trying to slow down Dallas.

Cardinals vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Arizona has an ATS record of 7-3 while averaging 21 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
Through their last ten home contests, the Panthers offense has averaged 12 points per game while allowing an average of 28. Carolina posted an overall record of 1-9 while going 3-7 ATS.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Panthers have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
As the betting favorite, the Cardinals have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Arizona posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.