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Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

redskins panthers 10609 The 2-2 Washington Redskins head to Charlotte, North Carolina looking to get over the hump against the 0-3 Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium this Sunday. It wasn’t pretty, but the Redskins were able to rally to defeat the Buccaneers 16-13 last week as QB Jason Campbell overcame a bad first half by throwing two second half touchdowns. The Panthers are coming off a bye week and they will hope the extra preparation time will help them get in the win column. These teams have not met since 2006 when the Redskins won 17-13, their seventh win in eight all-time meetings with the Panthers. But NFL odds makers expect Carolina to put its bye week to good use, listing the Panthers as 3.5-point favorites with the total set at 37.

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This game very well could come down to which quarterback plays the best. Jake Delhomme’s struggles in last year’s playoffs have carried over and he enters this week’s contest as the NFC’s lowest rated signal caller. Delhomme has committed nine turnovers in just three games. Despite signing a contract extension in the offseason, Delhomme’s early season play has put him squarely on the hot seat.

The Redskins were shopping Campbell in the offseason, expressing interest in Jets QB Mark Sanchez. Campbell has been up and down this season, yet to put together a complete game. He was awful in the first half last week, committing three turnovers, but he bounced back strong in the second. Let’s see if he can build on that strong second half this week.

The key to Carolina’s success is the running game. Thus far the Panthers are only averaging 101 rushing yards per game and have only eclipsed the century mark on the ground once this season. Last season, the Panthers ran the football 54 percent of the time and finished third in the NFL in rushing. This season, we are only seeing 38 percent run calls and the Panthers currently rank 20th in the league in rushing.

Defensively, the problem has been stopping the run. The Panthers have allowed an average of 182.7 yards per game on the ground and that’s just not going to get the job done. It is worth noting that the Panthers are 9-3-1 against the spread in their last 13 games as a favorite. It is also worth noting that the Redskins are 1-8-3 against the number in their last 12 games overall. If you like Carolina to finally get in the win column this week, and cover the number in the process, bet the Panthers at -3.5 at BetUS.

One thing to keep an eye on is the DeAngelo Hall versus Steve Smith matchup. These two have some bad blood dating back to the days when Hall was with the Falcons. Smith was often able to get under Hall’s skin, leading the Panthers’ cornerback into costly unsportsmanlike penalties. Hall will need to keep his cool this week as shutting down Smith is one of keys to victory.

Washington’s offense has really struggled this season, even against some of the NFL’s worst teams (Rams, Lions, Bucs). Washington can’t expect to win this week against a hungry Panthers team on the road if it doesn’t find a way to get in the end zone. The key could be getting Clinton Portis and the running game going against a Panthers defense that has struggled to stuff the run. It is worth noting that the underdog is 8-0 against the spread in the last eight meetings in this series. If you expect this trend to continue, bet the Redskins at +3.5 at BetUS.

Put your trust in Jimmy Boyd’s NFL expert picks this Sunday and win big with a world champion handicapper!

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