On the day daylight savings time ended, the Carolina Panthers turned back the clock more than an hour. Playing like they did in 2015, the Panthers rolled over the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday, winning their third straight game in the process while watching the offense become more and more efficient. Cam Newton and his teammates have a big obstacle in front of them as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Week 10 Thursday Night Football matchup. After a rough beginning, the Steelers have regained form to lead the AFC North and are a team to watch for in the AFC.
Watch this Week 10 regular season matchup live on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 8:20 p.m. ET at Heinz Field
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Carolina Panthers +5
Pittsburgh Steelers -5
Over/Under 50
When the Panthers rolled to a 15-1 regular season record and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2015, they did it behind Newton and the league’s highest scoring offense. Things haven’t gone as well since for Carolina, and Norv Turner was brought in prior to this year as the team’s offensive coordinator. His goal was to make Newton more of a quarterback and improve a completion percentage that sunk below 60 for his career.
Mission accomplished for Norvell, who watched Newton complete 19 of 25 passes in a pounding of the Bucs on Sunday. Newton has completed at least 72 percent of his throws in each of the last two games and is 65 percent or better in five of eight games. The ability to complete a high percentage of throws hasn’t taken away from Cam’s dual-threat ability. In fact, it’s enhanced his role as a player that can tear apart defenses with his arm and his legs.
Newton’s efficiency was on display two weeks ago when the Panthers put a wicked hurt on the league’s top-ranked defense, raking the Ravens for nearly 400 total yards in a 36-21 victory. Newton threw for 247 yards and the Panthers amassed 407 total yards in their 42-28 defeat of the Bucs on Sunday and Newton’s aerial skills have been on full display. He’s thrown at least two scoring passes in seven straight games and he should be a hit on the live betting feature at BookMaker.eu to add to that total on Thursday night.
Both teams have played better defensively in the past few weeks, and that has helped the Steelers maintain their lead in the AFC North. Without Le’Veon Bell the Steelers opened the season at 1-2-1 and many were predicting the demise of Pittsburgh as a threat in the AFC. Not so fast. While the defense pulled together, so did the guys on the other side of the football, rallying behind Bell’s replacement James Conner to rattle off four straight victories.
Connor had a nice observation after rushing for 107 yards and totaling 56 yards and a touchdown through the air against the Ravens. He said afterwards, “I’m built for this.” And that means the Steelers will continue to diversity their attack and Conner will again get plenty touches. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in four straight games and has nearly 1,100 yards from scrimmage. Look for the Steelers to feed their second-year back plenty of chances after his 108 touches in the past four games, and Conner will continue to deliver. The over on a prop bet for his rushing yards and yards from scrimmage is a likely winner.
Panthers at Steelers Live Betting
This matchup is much more enticing now than it was a month ago and both teams are playing outstanding football heading into the showdown. Offense is the name of the game in today’s NFL and the Panthers and Steelers have been putting up points with complete units on that side of the football. The total opened at 50 and that’s a number well within range with the quick strike ability of both. Should the defenses play strong at the beginning, that’s the time to jump on the live betting adjusted lines because Cam and Big Ben are going to catch up. There is too much offensive talent on both sides to stay away from pounding the over.
NFL Betting Odds
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