Betting-Previews.com brings you a free NFL betting preview for a clash between Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, who will cross swords on Sunday, August 15, at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will mark the final game of Week 1 of NFL 2021 preseason, and the first time these two teams will meet since December 2019, when Colts won with 28-6.
Carolina Panthers vs Indianapolis Colts
When: Sunday, August 15 – 13:00 EDT
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 24°C
The final game of Week 1 of the preseason ends this afternoon with a clash between Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. The fans at Lucas Oil Stadium aren’t going to see the biggest stars playing, with both coaches confirming they will keep most of their key men sidelined.
This, however, doesn’t mean the game isn’t going to be an exciting one. On the contrary, we should see an entertaining duel, especially from a betting perspective.
Christian McCaffrey, Sam Darnold Not Playing
Coach Matt Rhule has confirmed Carolina Panthers’ best player, running back Christian McCaffrey will not feature in this game. The reason behind this decision is obvious – the coach doesn’t want to risk his key man getting injured ahead of the season.
The same is the case with Carolina’s new quarterback, a former NY Jets man, Sam Darnold. Replacing him for tonight’s match is Panthers’ backup QB P. J. Walker, who has featured in only one game last season and will now have a chance to prove his worth.
Another player who will miss tonight’s clash is the defensive end, Brian Burns. The Panthers coach, on the other hand, might decide to give their first-round pick Jaycee Horn a chance.
Despite that, the Panthers aren’t expected to achieve much even with the rookie cornerback in the team. Oddsmakers have made them a 3-points underdog against the Colts.
Two Colts QBs Competing for Starting Position
The Indianapolis first-choice quarterback Carson Wentz is injured. Not only will he miss the game against the Carolina Panthers, but he will also sit out his team’s first game in the 2021 NFL season. In fact, he could be sidelined for much longer than that.
In normal circumstances, the injury of the no.1 quarterback would be viewed as a major problem. However, the Colts have two excellent backups in Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger.
Eason will likely be given the nod against the Panthers, given the fact that he was the one to handle the first-team reps at Colts’ practice. The University of Washington’s product was drafted by the Colts in 2020, while his competition, Ehlinger, was their draft choice this year.
The rookie will get his chance to prove his worth in this game, and you can be sure that he’ll do his best to impress. There’s a strong possibility that the QB who impresses more during the preseason will get the starting role in Week 1 of the regular season.
Carolina Panthers vs Indianapolis Colts Betting Picks
Bet365, William Hill, and many other online sportsbooks have set the points margin for this game to 34.5, which seems a bit high. What’s interesting is that only six of 16 NFL 2021 preseason matches reached 35 points or more.
Since both Carolina and Indianapolis will play without their starting QBs, it’s likely that tonight’s affair won’t be a high-scoring one, granted we don’t expect a complete snoozefest either.
However, knowing that the Colts backup QBs will be super-motivated this afternoon, it’s reasonable to assume that his side will have the edge over the opposition, which is why we’re siding with Indianapolis Colts to win with at least three points to spare.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts -3.00 Points – 1.98 SBO, 1.97 Pinnacle
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