NFL Free Pick: Take Panthers over Bengals in Week 3
By Anthony Rome
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a huge win against division rival Baltimore and are looking to start the year 2-1 if they can beat the struggling Carolina Panthers. Here’s our NFL free pick for this contest.
Before getting into our free pick for this game, let’s take a look at the odds.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have listed the Bengals as a 3-point favorite over the Panthers in Week 3. The over/under total for Sunday’s game is currently 38.
Obviously a lot of consideration about the Panthers’ quarterback situation went into this free pick. Matt Moore is out as the starter in Carolina, while rookie Jimmy Clausen is in. First year quarterbacks usually struggle, which is why 88% of the betting public is backing the Bengals this Sunday.
However, most rookie quarterbacks don’t have DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart at their disposal either. And whether it’s Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen lining up under center, the Panthers are going to run the football.
The Bengals are coming off a huge win over the Ravens, so they’re primed for a letdown of sorts. That may be a dumb notion to consider, but it happens all the time in the NFL – one week a team looks like Super Bowl contenders (not that Cincy looked that good last week) and the next they’re losing to the 0-2 Panthers on the road as 3-point underdogs.
The Free Pick:
The Panthers are my free pick for this game. Clausen could provide the spark they need in the passing game and while he’s going to make some mistakes, the Bengals don’t have a pass rush to be feared so he should have time to throw. Defensively, the Panthers are young and inexperienced but the Bengals’ offense sputtered last week and wasn’t good in the first half against the Patriots two weeks ago. Don’t be surprised if the Panthers earn their first victory of the season in upset fashion.
2010 NFL Week 3 Free Pick: CAROLINA PANTHERS +3