Panthers vs. Bengals Week 9 matchup preview and current betting lines
The Carolina Panthers (2-6) were so close to making the NFC South a four-way race with everyone stuck at 3-5 going into November. But an excessive celebration penalty on D.J. Moore made a game-winning extra point longer, it was missed, and the Panthers lost in overtime to Atlanta after also missing a short game-winning field goal.
But it is good to see the Panthers are playing more competitive football after firing coach Matt Rhule. The Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) were hardly competitive at all in Cleveland on Monday night, a 32-13 loss that was highlighted by the absence of star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (fractured hip). Chase is a difference maker for sure, but the Bengals still should have played better with Joe Burrow taking five sacks for the first time since Week 2. Burrow is now 0-4 against the Browns in his career.
This sets up a game that looked a lot less interesting a week ago when we thought the Bengals were turning into an offensive juggernaut and the Panthers were lucky to score more than 14 points in a game. Could D’Onta Foreman do what Nick Chubb did to the Bengals by running downhill on them after putting together consecutive games with 118 yards after the team traded Christian McCaffrey?
The NFL Week 9 odds have the Bengals as a 7.5-point home favorite with a total of 45 points in this matchup. Does Carolina have another big upset planned, or will the Bengals bounce back at home?
Players to watch in the Panthers vs. Bengals game
Carolina Panthers
D.J. Moore: We are finally seeing Moore producing like a No. 1 wide receiver again with 221 yards and two touchdowns over the last two games. Those were some favorable matchups against injured secondaries he knows well by being in the division. He’ll have to produce against an unfamiliar Cincinnati defense on the road in this one. But he has a chance to be the best receiver on the field with Chase inactive again.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon: The Bengals are 30th in rushing as Joe Mixon is averaging 54.0 rushing yards per game, his lowest average since his rookie season. Along with the issues in pass protection, this also speaks to the other problems with the offensive line that isn’t resolved at all. Mixon could have to settle for a lot of short gains in this one again, but the Bengals should stick with him if it takes some pressure off Burrow.
Our Best NFL Bets for the Panthers vs. Bengals game
We have two NFL Week 9 predictions for this rare matchup of non-conference opponents.
Panthers vs. Bengals Point Spread Pick: Bengals -7.5 (-110)
The Panthers vs. Bengals spread opened with the Bengals as a 9.5-point home favorite before moving down to 7.5. The Panthers are 2-1 ATS since firing Matt Rhule.
Since drafting Burrow in 2020, the Bengals are 10-7 ATS as a favorite, the third-best record in the league. They are also 14-6 ATS after a loss, the second-best record in the league. Finally, the Bengals are 4-0 ATS with a rest disadvantage, so the fewer day to prepare should not be a big deal for a team hungry to rebound from a poor performance.
This is a good matchup to show how the Panthers overachieved the last two weeks in division games and how the Bengals just had one awful night against a Cleveland team that has owned them. Throw in the Chase injury and not adjusting as well to that, and you get the recipe for a 32-13 loss. The Bengals really seemed to falter after that tipped pick on the first drive.
The Panthers are basically an inferior version of the Browns as P.J. Walker/D’Onta Foreman/D.J. Moore are not as good as Jacoby Brissett/Nick Chubb/Amari Cooper. The Browns also had Myles Garrett to rush Burrow while the Panthers have Brian Burns. He is a solid pass rusher, but Burns is not in that Garrett, T.J. Watt, or Micah Parsons company.
Teams that struggle to rush the passer are ideal for Burrow, who will hold the ball longer to hit big plays. Tee Higgins is still a fine receiver to call your No. 1 in Chase’s absence. Look for Burrow to have a much better game and lead the Bengals to a cover for your NFL bet of the week.
Please see our NFL picks page for more betting tips.
bet on NFL with Betrivers >Player Prop: Joe Burrow Over 261.5 Passing Yards (-115)
Unless we start pointing it out every single week, it cannot be overstated how much more productive Burrow is at home compared to road games in his career.
- In home games, Burrow averages 327.2 passing yards per game and 8.70 yards per pass attempt.
- In road games, Burrow averages 244.1 passing yards per game and 7.01 yards per pass attempt.
This should do a better job of evening out as Burrow’s career progresses, but right now, he has been a historic homer in his first three seasons. Compare Burrow’s home-road splits where he is over 83 yards higher at home to some of the career splits for his peers in passing yards per game:
- Patrick Mahomes: 284.9 at home, 317.5 on road
- Justin Herbert: 285.6 at home, 297.8 on road
- Josh Allen: 215.4 at home, 264.4 on road
- Kyler Murray: 264.9 at home, 234.1 on road
- Lamar Jackson: 179.0 at home, 172.6 on road
- Dak Prescott: 263.3 at home, 251.4 on road
- Tom Brady: 262.6 at home, 269.8 on road
Burrow has passed for at least 287 yards in his last seven home starts in the regular season, including six 300-yard passing games. Carolina has barely played any competent passing offenses this season. This should be a productive game for Burrow, and even on a bad night in Cleveland, he likely would have passed for over 260 yards if he would have converted a fourth down the last time he touched the ball. Trust him to bounce back with his receivers at home.
bet on NFL with draftkings >Frequently asked questions about the Panthers vs. Bengals game in Week 9
The game is being played at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This season, the Panthers are 3-5 ATS and the Bengals are 5-3 ATS.
You should check out our player prop picks and daily NFL predictions.