Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions Spread

Bye weeks did the Carolina Panthers (2-7) and the Detroit Lions (6-3) more harm than good as they both endured lopsided defeats in Week 10.

Odds makers believe the Lions will be the team to bounce back Sunday.

They are currently listed as a seven-point favorite at home with the total set at 48.5.

The Lions have dropped three of four since getting out of the gate 5-0. They looked rusty following their off week and endured a 37-13 loss to a Chicago Bears team they defeated 24-13 on Oct. 10.

The Lions committed six turnovers in the defeat, and quarterback Matthew Stafford was responsible for four of them. He completed 35 of 66 passes for 338 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

Eight of Stafford’s completions went to Nate Burleson, who led the team with 83 receiving yards.  Stafford’s lone touchdown strike went to tight end Tony Scheffler.

Maurice Morris led the way on the ground with 44 of the team’s 80 rushing yards.

The Panthers came out flat as well and took it on the chin with a 30-3 home loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Rookie quarterback Cam Newton completed 23 of 40 passes for 212 yards and an interception. He also carried the ball seven times for 55 yards to lead the team in rushing.

Legedu Naanee led the Panthers in receiving with eight catches for 75 yards.

Through nine games it has become apparent that Carolina can’t afford to turn the ball over. It is 2-0 this season when avoiding turnovers and 0-7 when having at least one giveaway. In other words, the margin of error is even slimmer for teams that are rebuilding.

The Panthers will be up against a Detroit team that has forced at least two turnovers in six of its nine games.

The Lions know they need to do a better job of taking care of the football as well, and that’s something I expect them to do. Prior to last Sunday’s six-turnover performance, they had only committed a total of five turnovers on the season.

In addition to winning the turnover battle, Detroit will likely have to slow down Carolina’s running attack to cover the number.

The Lions currently rank 27th in the NFL against the run with 134.4 yards allowed per game.

The Panthers currently rank eighth in the league with 127.8 rushing yards per game.

The Lions have allowed their opponents to rush for over 100 yards in eight straight games. The Panthers have topped the century mark on the ground in seven straight games.

Carolina has won the last four meetings in this series with the most recent being a 31-22 home victory on Nov. 16, 2008.

While it has had the upper hand in this matchup, Detroit has been the play in terms of the point spread, covering the number in each of the last three meetings.

In regard to the total, the over likely deserves some consideration. After all, the Panthers are 6-0 to the over since the beginning of the 2009 season when valued as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points.

Jimmy Boyd will keep you winning consistently on the pro gridiron all season with his expert picks. Don’t make a move in Week 11 before you check out his full slate of highly rated premium plays.