Panthers open as 3.5-point favorites

Posted by Mike Florio on January 24, 2016, 11:14 PM EST
AP

The participants for Super Bowl 50 have been set. The betting line could be fluid.

Via R.J. Bell of Pregame.com, Vegas has installed the Panthers as a 3.5-point favorite over the Broncos, with an over/under of 44.5 points.

Bell says that the early money from professionals has been placed on the Broncos, with the early money from amateur bettors landing on the Panthers.

It had been believed that the NFC champion would be a one-point favorite over the AFC champion. Carolina’s blowout win over the Cardinals undoubtedly played a role in the size of the opening line for the game to be played in two weeks.

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62 responses to “Panthers open as 3.5-point favorites”

  5. Peyton better hope for a better performance this Super Bowl. I don’t think Roger can use the cut the light trick again if this game becomes a blowout like the Ravens-49ers became.

  9. Seems low. They seem head and shoulders the best team in the league right now, and I’m no Panthers fan. They don’t have a weak spot, and the Broncos have a really hard time scoring points.

  10. Have to agree, the most physical team is the Panthers. It did not bode well for the Broncos when they played the Seahawks who were the most physical team at the time.

    I expect the Panthers in a blowout.

  15. Panthers looked impressive. But they had a cake schedule this season. The Broncos are tested and their defense shut down the patriots. If Carolina thinks they are going to roll all over Denver has another thing coming.

  16. I fail to see Panthers losing simply because both teams have very great defences but Denvers offense is still not great while Carolina’s led the league in scoring.

  17. I’ll say the same thing I said for the Denver/Pats game.

    If the Panthers score over 23 or more they’ll win. If not, they’ll probably lose.

  19. As an old timer I still beleive defenses win super bowls. Denver D can handle Cam. I only saw two Carolina games and both of them he had guys open but had time to pass too. WOon’t be as easy against Denvers cover defense.
    I say he gets frustrated early and loses it mentally and they fall apart.
    When you win two easy playoff games and go up against the best d in football, a d you haven’t seen before, that is going to make it hard.

  20. Seems low.

    Panthers had an all time beatdown vs the Panthers and the Pats were 3.5 point favorites in Denver. This means the pats are seen as 3 points better then Carolina which is asinine

  22. I’m a lifetime Broncos fan, but I find this matchup really interesting. Mostly because of all of the comments that I’ve read all year about how the Broncos D is the most overrated and Peyton is washed up then how the Panthers were overrated and haven’t beaten anyone good and how foolish that they were for paying Cam so much money because he “isn’t a franchise QB.”

    It’s just so confusing because all of these internet experts said these things about both teams all season, yet they’re the last two teams standing.

  23. vancouversportsbro says:
    Jan 24, 2016 11:26 PM
    Aren’t the Patriots supposed to be favoured? I mean Hochuli is not reffing and they are on their deflate gate revenge tour.

    Oh wait

    __________
    Seattle was eliminated last week.

    Also 28-24

  24. Denver Defense pinballed TB all the way back to bean town today. Thank you for now we don’t have to listen to 2 weeks of NE team hype. Belachek was gracious in defeat. Classy in the loss.

    Go Panthers!

  26. Seems like the amateur bettors are also commenting…

    I would hardly bet against a team that has punked Bill Belichick twice in one season.

  30. -Panthers is a one and done play-off team like they have been last few years..

    -Panthers is the worst team ever to start 14-0..

    -Panthers have the weak schedule and hardly beat anybody worth mentioning…

    Whatever all the naysayers have got to say about the Panthers.. we just keep rolling and rolling. We beat Seattle Seahawks twice and they are probably the only best play-off team beside the Carolina Panthers. We beat Green Bay Packers. We beat Washington Redskins. We beat Minnesota Vikings. We beat Houston Texans. They all are play-off team. We beat NFL’s second best team (on the book) Arizona Cardinals. Need I say more?

    Denver Broncos is third best team in the NFL and we have a date with them. Sorry to say but both Peyton and Brady looked so sorry out there and they didn’t seem good enough to give Carolina Panthers the run for their money.. it look like it might be another cakewalk for the Panthers.

    Go Panthers!!

  31. I like the Broncos against that line. Yes the Panthers worked the Cardinals, but we’re talking about the Arizona Cardinals. And Carson Palmer. The Cards melted down, plain and simple. What was it, 7 turnovers? And most of them weren’t fantastic defensive plays, they were sloppy throws by Palmer. That doesn’t diminish what the Panthers did, but pause and do a sanity check and realize that the team they destroyed simply wasn’t that great. They squeaked by a bad Green Bay team with an awful defense in overtime…the Cards aren’t exactly world beaters. The Panthers are excellent this year and certainly deserve to be favored, but the Broncos road to the SB was a lot harder IMO, and they beat two very tough teams with excellent QBs. If anyone can beat the Panthers, it’s them.

  32. jsj808303 says:
    Jan 25, 2016 12:04 AM
    Seems like the amateur bettors are also commenting…

    I would hardly bet against a team that has punked Bill Belichick twice in one season

    ____________

    The Eagles and Dolphins beat the Pats as well. It just wasnt their year. Denvers played close lucky games all year.

  34. I’d be careful basing too much on what happens in the championship game. The Panthers should be favored, but I don’t trust Cam in a tight game against a good secondary. If they’re not physically imposing their will, he tends to make flaky throws.

  36. My prediction? One of them is going to win, I’m going to wait until they play the game before talking any smack. Yes Carolina put a first class butt whupping on the Cardinals, yes Manning and the Denver Defense beat Brady and the Patriots by a hair. But both of the teams have had epic wins this year against good teams and looked bad against other’s, though the Panthers managed to pull out all but one of them.

    Bottom line it all depends on which team executes best two weeks from now, which ones Defense shows up wanting it more, my inclination is to go with Carolina, but I wouldn’t be surprised by a Denver win either. Should be fun! One day I hope my Lions get to play in a Super Bowl.. :/

  39. The Donks will choke the big game in two weeks. Run to the window and give up the 3.5 points because by game time it will be at least 6.

  41. As a Dolphin fan i couldn’t understand how we beat the Patriots when they needed to beat us to guarantee home field advantage. They looked so flat that i thought they had some big plan up their sleeves. Maybe they didn’t take us and the Broncos seriously enough, who knows. One thing is for sure the noise of the fans and the Broncos defense made sure they regretted not playing at home. What struck me most about the Broncos defense apart from the obvious was the level of intelligence patience and discipline they showed covering receivers. I have never enjoyed a game so much for a long while. Anybody who says football is not tough anymore need to look at that game.

  42. thefatlazygamer says:
    Jan 24, 2016 11:24 PM
    Peyton better hope for a better performance this Super Bowl. I don’t think Roger can use the cut the light trick again if this game becomes a blowout like the Ravens-49ers became.
    —————
    Huh? Ravens-49ers was 34-31.

  43. I LOVE that these 2 teams are in the SB! Finally a BIG GAME to look forward to!!! Think either team winning will be a great story, but honestly, Peyton getting that 2nd ring and hopefully retiring would be the BEST possible outcome. (Love you too, Cam!)

  44. Manning will bring serious strategy and audible changes to the line which the Panthers have never seen

    The Broncos D will cover hard and Cam will make a couple of serious mistakes under pressure which the Panthers have never seen

    it will be close, but Broncos will pull it out and win by at least 7

  45. As a Panther fan the Denver D scares the crap out of me. We will not be able to pass on them due to their great secondary and almost instant pass rush. I think Cam has better ability to escape than Brady did but still Miller is a beast.
    It will come down to the complex running game that the Panthers have. It should be able to take advantage of the aggressive nature of the Broncos and move the ball slow and steady.
    I also think the Panthers D has a greater advantage over the Broncos O than the other way around. The Panthers lead the league in turnovers and INTs. A pick 6 against Manning could be the difference in this game.

    Panthers 20 – Broncos 12

  47. Denver put it to the Pats, no doubt. Brady had no time to throw and was rushing passes. Brady is a statue, has a bad oline, and no running game. Denver did the right thing and rushed him hard. It worked.

    Facts: Cam is a lot more mobile than Brady. He is also 6’5″ and 250 lbs and built like a LB. Cam has 2 Pro Bowl linemen, and a ProBowl RB and FB, and like Brady, a Probowl TE. You cannot just pin your ears back and go after him. You have to spy him, you have to slow down your rush to make sure you can contain him. That gives the receivers more time to get open, gives Newton more time to figure it out.

    Denvers D is excellent, I am taking away anything they do. They haven’t played anyone like Newton this year, they need a really good game plan. Can they do it? Sure. I am hoping they don’t.

  48. Panthers played an easy schedule by beating every team on it.

    Cam will fold in a tight situation, even though he’s won CHAMPIONSHIPS in high school, Juco and NCAA. He must really be bad in big games.

    Panthers are 1 and done in the playoffs. All year long the Panthers have been disrespected and all they did was win. The NFC appeared better than the AFC all year, Cam Newton is the MVP and only neo-Confederates, still fighting a lost cause, will deny it.

    If you’re a Broncos fan, you’d better hope the NFC Championship was not the NFL Championship, because he sure looked d that way going in.

  49. There is little to no difference between this Super Bowl and the one played two years ago between the Broncos and Seahawks.

    Manning will throw at least 3 picks if he plays the entire game. But I suspect that after the 2nd pick, he’ll be benched for Oswiller.

    48-6 Panthers.

  50. Broncos have no chance to win this game. Broncos offense against Panthers defense…how are they going to move the ball?

    Exactly. Panthers have handled better WR corps all year. No problem covering Sanders and Thomas. Double them, and then what?

    48-6 Panthers

  53. Can’t wait to see Goodell to have to hand the Lombardi trophy to Brady and Belichick……oh I’m bad

  54. All this talk about these knocks on the Panthers’ schedule and now how the Seahawks and Cardinals aren’t really that good. Just keep doubting the Panthers. All they have done is go out and do exactly what you are supposed to… Win. The talk about Cam melting down is just crazy. The way he goes out and plays, he never puts the pressure on himself in a way that would allow a meltdown. I understand this is now the Super Bowl, but until I see different, I won’t expect different. That Bronco’s D is tough but so is Carolina’s and the Bronco’s O hasn’t been nearly as good as Carolina’s against some quality defenses. I’m thinking it will be a great game but it’s likely a Carolina win.

  55. Panthers fast good o and d broncos good d and fair o. Cam right now is so confident and playing like it Peyton I think is just wore out hoping for a good game but I think Carolina right now is a far better team

  56. I LOVE that these 2 teams are in the SB! But I do take exception to betting lines and favorites. We all saw how that worked out for Vegas yesterday, didn’t we?? Let them play. They both got this far for a REASON! I am just happy that we have 2 teams that are a joy to watch and root for instead of “holier than thou” Patriots and the sanctimonious Seahawks like last year! It should be quite a GAME!!!

  58. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again when the news is in favor of my team…

    Why does anyone care what a legion of gambling addicts think is going to happen in any game? Betting lines are nothing more than tools to ensure that the gambling addicts are placing 50% of their family’s grocery money on each side. They have nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with what happens on the field. NOTHING!!!!

  60. Guess I’ll have to deal with hearing for two weeks how we have zero chance to knock off Carolina, just like how we had no chance vs. Brady and New England this week, according to all the “experts”. Keep doubting, but this D is special. Also on a sidetone, why are we paying Demaryius Thomas 70 mil again? He should swap contracts with Emmanuel Sanders.

  61. mammothfan says:
    Jan 24, 2016 11:31 PM
    Panthers looked impressive. But they had a cake schedule this season. The Broncos are tested and their defense shut down the patriots. If Carolina thinks they are going to roll all over Denver has another thing coming.
    ——————–
    So playing the Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs was a good test? Enough with the strength of schedule crap. The teams the Panthers played looked bad because the Panthers made them look that way.

  62. realqc says:
    Jan 25, 2016 3:59 PM

    So playing the Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs was a good test? Enough with the strength of schedule crap. The teams the Panthers played looked bad because the Panthers made them look that way.

    ————–

    Broncos may have lost to those teams but they also beat some of the top teams in both conferences. SoS schedule matters. The teams Panthers played looked bad because they were bad teams. Only 4 of the teams they played had winning records. Only real team they played all season was the Seattle Seahawks who were a weaker team than they were in recent years and an Arizona Cardinals team who just fell over for the Panthers. Panthers may win the SB, but they are definitely untested.

    And don’t forget all their injuries they have right now. It’s crazy they’re even here. Carolina needs their o-line to hold up and to take advantage of Denver’s. If that happens they take the game. But I can foresee a game where Manning brings out a 3 or 4 WR set and takes advantage of Carolina’s thin secondary and Cam takes one too many sacks then makes a bad decision to cost the game.

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