Carolina Panthers (0-2 Preseason) vs. Buffalo Bills (1-1 Preseason)
Advanced to the third week of the NFL Preseason and the Carolina Panthers remain winless with an overall record of 0-2, while the Buffalo Bills are somewhat better – 1-1. It is to be played on Saturday at Highmark Stadium and can be seen as a good platform for both teams to test their key players and new strategies before the actual season starts. Besides posing a rather crucial challenge to the teams, this game also raises various fascinating propositions for efficiency-seeking aficionados already looking for the most lucrative value bets on the best betting websites.
The Panthers have not been good in attack in general this preseason, and particularly in passing, but there is still hope for them in the running department. Other aspiring performers – the running back Dillon Johnson posted 89 rushing yards in two games and an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Thus, his capability to change the course of a game when he has the required free space is evident by the fact that he is capable of breaking a 22-yard rush. On the receiving end, Ihmir Smith-Marsette has been rather decent, scoring 4.6 yards per reception from 7 catches, though there are no fancy stats to back it up, meaning that he is not viable for short to medium pass plays.
Nevertheless, the Buffalo Bills are likely to demonstrate themselves to be more aggressive offensively. Frank Gore Jr., a rookie running back out of Miami, has a meagre 62 rushing yards on 15 carries and his play indicates that he has been cautious during his first NFL games. The receiving corps headed by Khalil Shakir has been efficient, with Shakir’s 4 targets signifying an explosive rate per catch of 8.3 yards, which could factor into today’s game in the case of a third and longs or on any of those stretch plays down the line.
Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills Game Info
| When: | Saturday, August 24 at 1:00 PM ET |
| Where: | Highmark Stadium |
| TV: | – |
| Stream: | NFL Game Pass |
Jack Plummer QB vs. Mitchell Trubisky QB
Jack Plummer, the Panthers’ quarterback, has been off the mark in the preseason as can be seen by his 56.4% and only 128 passing yards in two games. That is rather low, although a proof of certain stamina against sacks – six for a loss of forty yards – it cannot be said that the player demonstrates good results under pressure, so his skills in pocket awareness and decision-making have to be developed.
Trubisky for the Bills, however, has shown just a little more control and efficiency, going 61.3% of his throws for 168 yards. But his passes were slightly better: 62.3 as against Plummer’s 62.0 could be an added advantage for the Bills in as much as Quangenzi has not even attempted a single touchdown pass in the preseason games.
NFL Odds/Point Spread: Buffalo Bills -235, Total Odds: 34.5
The betting lines are against the Bills, who have a -4.5 point spread and moneyline of -235; this is because they have been balancing their team’s performance and home-ground supremacy. The game has a total of 34.5 over/under with trends pointing to more points especially due to defensive weaknesses shown by both teams in recent games
Carolina Panthers Betting Trends
Carolina is 1-4 in the last five games against the spread and Oo 5 in the last five games outright. The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Carolina’s last 7 games meaning that there have been issues with scoring and thus the offense which will make it hard for Carolina to cover the spread even with the 4. 5-point cushion.
Buffalo Bills Betting Trends
The Bills, on the opposite side, have proved that they are a tough and capable team, especially in their home yard where the total has gone OVER in 4 of the last 5 games. They have also performed well when it comes to converting straight up where they have won 7 out of their last 9 games, and the fact that they have been able to close out games could be very important in a preseason tournament whereby most of the time the depth players are the ones finishing the game.
Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills 8/24/24 Betting Picks
On the trends and performances, the Buffalo seems to be in a better standing especially on offense and more so on defense. It may not be pretty, but the Panthers will require massive step-ups from Plummer and their front five to have a shot. If much is to be made of the Buffalo Bills’ strengths in home matches and scoring prowess, then it would be wise to bet on the home side covering the spread.
For anyone interested in NFL free picks, go to the OVER of 34. 5 as a possible upset, in consideration of the fact that both teams have been scoring and that defenses are likely to concede towards the end of the match. Some prop bets could be, for instance, bets concerning the touchdown of Dillon Johnson based on the fact that he has been used in the red zone frequently.
