Cam Newton and the Panthers will look for their first playoff win since 2005
For the non-Daily players, fantasy football is over, but that doesn’t mean we’re done asking the experts for advice. We’ve got 4 playoff games on tap this weekend and we’re sure more than a few of you have a “rooting” interest in the outcomes. To help steer you in the right direction, we polled 50+ experts to get their picks against the spread for each game.
The first game up on Saturday (4:35pm EST) is a rematch from the 2009 Divisional Round Playoffs: Cardinals at Panthers (-6.5). The Cardinals were 10 point dogs in 2009 heading into Carolina, and they are the dogs again 5 years later. This time though, the Cardinals will have a greater uphill battle as Ryan Lindley will be the QB after a rash of injuries. Read on to see who the experts like against the spread this weekend.
Wild Card Picks: Against the Spread
Detroit at Dallas (-6.5)
Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-3)
Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-3)
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Pick %
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39% | 61% |
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“Even with Lindley at QB the Cards are better. They’ll win outright.”
– Ross Miles Pro Football Focus “At 39 total points, Vegas is predicting this game to have by far the lowest over/under of the weekend. I find it hard to believe that either team will win by a touchdown in such a defensive struggle. Arizona’s defense matches up well against Carolina’s rushing strength, but their mediocre pass defense and terrible offense will ultimately lead to their downfall. I just don’t see that defeat being by seven or more points.”
– Austin Lee FootballGuys  “Sure, we have Lindley at quarterback, but this is the same Panthers team that was 3-8-1 and left for dead. “But a four game run, they’re hot!” The four games were the Saints, Bucs, Browns and Falcons. Not exactly top flight competition. I like the Panthers straight up, but nearly a touchdown gap? Nah.”
– Jake Ciely RotoExperts “Losers of four of their last six, the Ryan Lindley Cardinals are a far cry from the team we saw earlier in the season. Their defense keeps them competitive, however, and they should be able to beat the spread and only lose by a field goal.”
– Igor Derysh XN Sports “Six and a half points is a lot to lay for a team that doesn’t even have a winning record coming into Wild Card Weekend. I trust that Bruce Arians’ gameplan will shorten the game and that he can keep his team within six points. Away dogs have hit at a 52% clip this year.”
– Pat James Fantasy Council “I believe Carolina wins this game, but if Arizona has done anything down the stretch without Carson Palmer, it is surprise me. Their defense keeps them in games and I believe they will do the same this week too, but their offense won’t have enough punch to get them the victory.”
– Joe Bond Fantasy Six Pack “I Believe! The Arizona Cardinals defense has been solid all year. To me, the Panthers are a team that shoots themselves in the foot to much. The Cardinals are disciplined enough to pull off a victory on the road.”
– Paul Greco FantasyPros911 “Upset special: I think Arizona wins this one outright. For those worried about Arizona’s QB issues, keep in mind that Lindley threw for over 300 yards last week at San Francisco. That said, it’s Arizona’s defense that will win this one. The Cardinals (11-5) are 5-1 ATS playing teams with losing records, while Carolina (7-8-1) is 1-3 ATS versus teams with winning records.”
– Jeff Collins Fantasy Contrarians “Carolina has come on strong with a 4-0 December to seize the NFL South for the 2nd straight year. Arizona has struggled under 3rd string QB Ryan Lindley down the stretch but Head Coach Bruce Arians has found ways to win all year likely resulting in his 2nd Coach of the Year award. This line started at 4.5 and the public has pushed it up to 6.5 thanks to the Panthers’ dominating performance in Atlanta last week. However, the Panthers struggled to barely beat both the Browns and Bucs at home in the 2 weeks preceding the NFC South clincher. While the Panthers defense loves to get after the QB, the Cards offensive line has given up the 5th least amount of sacks this year. This game will be ugly and low scoring. I’ll take the better coaching in Bruce Arians/Todd Bowles and the 6.5 points.”
– Tom Poisal Top Tier Football “Too many points. Carolina will win the game, but they don’t have the offensive firepower necessary to cover a touchdown margin. The Cardinals defense keeps them in the game. “
– Sean Beazley EDSFootball “I like the points here as Arizona’s defense should be able to keep this game close.”
– Walton Spurlin Fantasy Sharks “Arizona keeps the game close enough on the road and attacks the Panthers through the air. “
– Tony Mauriello ProjectRoto “In a playoff game, 6.5 points is quite a bit to overcome, but the Cardinals have been pretty bad as of late. Their defense however can potentially help them win this game with how reckless Cam Newton has been at times this season. We have no idea how the Cardinals lost just 5 games this year, but a complete season doesn’t lie. I like their defense more than I like Cam Newton, so give me the 6 and a hook. “
– Mike Tagliere Tags Fantasy Football “Against teams with a winning record this season, Cam Newton has a 1-5-1 record as a starter with 8 TDs/6 INTs passing. Against the better pass defenses he’s faced this season, Cam has thrown for 6 TDs/5 INTs (in six games)…with some of his numbers pushed by garbage time output. I’m not sure the Panthers will score more than 14 points versus this Arizona defense, if that. The Cardinals may be rolling with Ryan Lindley, but Lindley looked so much better against Seattle last week…it gives the Cards hope. I think Arizona covers at least, but I like them for the outright win. Against teams with a losing record (like Carolina), the Cardinals are 6-0 this season.”
– R.C. Fischer Fantasy Football Metrics “I’d love a full 7 points, and Carolina has looked dominant the last couple of weeks, but Arizona’s defense is still elite. I’m not sure if Lindley/Stanton has enough to pull out the win, but they’ll keep it close.”
– Kevin Kumpf Razzball “These two teams are headed in opposite directions, with the Pantgers surging at the right time. Still, it’s not a safe bet that Carolina’s offense can exploit Arizobas defense. It just doesn’t sit well to give a sub-.500 team a touchdown edge over an 11 win squad. I’ll take the dog here. “
– Jody Smith Jody Smith – Gridiron Experts “Ryan Lindley is a severe issue for Arizona’s chances of advancing, but 6.5 points is far too high a spread, considering Carolina is one of the weakest divisional winners in recent memory. I don’t see Carolina putting up very many points against a quality Arizona defense, and neither does Vegas, judging by the game’s low over/under. I see Carolina advancing, but Arizona covering.”
– R.J. White Fantasy Football Cafe “The Panthers are playing far better of late, while the Cardinals will be forced to start Ryan Lindley on the road, which explains why an 11-5 team is nearly a touchdown underdog against a team that finished under .500. But this spread has jumped since it’s opening, and things aren’t always so obvious as they seem.”
– Dalton Del Don Yahoo “The Panthers are peaking at the right time, but a closer look at the opponents (NO, TB, CLE, and ATL) during their 4-game winning streak suggests the streak could be a mirage. Even with a third-string QB, the Cardinals defense will keep this one close.”
– Dan Clasgens Get Sports Info |
“Arizona’s quarterback issue has clipped the Cardinals wings. The offense has become a major problem and despite having an elite defense, this team is going no where if they can’t put points on the board. “
– Mike Rigz Gridiron Experts “Carolina has been red-hot recently and the Cardinals QB situation makes the Panthers a nice sleeper to win. This is a game of the better defense, but Carolina should prevail. “
– James Hatfield Hatty Waiver Wire Guru “Jonathan Stewart has the second most Rushing Stats since Week 13! The Panthers haven’t allowed a rushing TD since Week 10. The Cardinals Defense, on the other hand, have suffered a late season defensive collapse. In Week 14, Jamaal Charles totaled 111 yards and 2 TDs. In Week 16, Marshawn Lynch totaled 113 yards and 2 TDs. In Week 17, Frank Gore totaled 149 yards and 2 TDs. “
– Tozzi Brothers Legion Report “The Cardinals will not win a Playoff game with their 3rd String RB platoon and Ryan Lindley as the starting Quarterback. It is amazing the Cards were able to hold on this season after losing Carson Palmer early, but they do not have enough to defeat the hot Panthers offense.”
– Muntradamus Beast Dome “This might be the ultimate game where the QB position swings the result in a matchup where the Cardinals have all kinds of advantages elsewhere. Cam Newton has been more efficient than potent of late, but good chance he’s booth against a defense that allowed the fourth most passing yards. As long as the Panthers don’t give Arizona points via turnovers or special teams, scoring 17 should be plenty versus a Ryan Lindley-helmed attack. Fantasy hero: Greg Olsen. Cardinals ranked 28th versus fantasy tight ends this season. “
– Ben Standig CSN Washington “This isn’t just about Ryan Lindley – the Panthers have been playing very well lately. Don’t be fooled by their 7-8-1 record.”
– John Halpin Fox Sports “The Panthers won their way into the playoffs, largely by showing greatly improved defensive play, and by beating bad teams in recent weeks. On their 3rd string QB, Arizona is a bad offense and I think the Panthers D will give him fits.”
– Jon Collins Fantasy Sports LR “Ryan Lindley isn’t an NFL quarterback and Drew Stanton barely passes as one. The Cardinals were dead in the water the day Carson Palmer went down and they didn’t even know it. Then again, maybe they did. The point is, Carolina has turned into a good team suddenly with four big wins in a row to end the year. Now they’re at home against a team with no quarterback or running back. Even with this line, I’ll still take the Panthers.”
– Kevin Roberts Breaking Football “Sometimes you just have to take a step back and look at a match-up based on short-term trends. Arizona has been the NFL equivalent of MacGyver since losing Carson Palmer and Andre Ellington; Carolina has been solid since Cam Newton crashed his truck. Give me the team not traveling across these great United States.”
– Micah James Micah James – FFMagicMan “Cam and the D are on quite a roll heading into playoffs. Arizona on to their third-string QB and without Andre Ellington. “
– Chris Meaney Fantasy Sports LR “The Cardinals have a phenomenal defense and good skill position players, but they are in a tailspin since QB Carson Palmer suffered a season ending injury against the St. Louis Rams in Week 10. Since then, they are averaging just 12.4 points per game, which makes it all the more amazing they are (3-4) in those games. I just cannot see this team winning a playoff game on the road with QB Ryan Lindley behind center. I will take the Panthers to cover and I think they cover easily. “
– Derek Lofland FFManiax “It’s amazing that a team with a losing record is such a large favorite against an 11-win team, but these two teams have been heading in opposite directions. During their four-game winning streak, the Panthers have held their opponents to only 50 points (12.5/G) and it’s hard to imagine things being much different this week against third-stringer Ryan Lindley.”
– Kevin Hanson EDSFootball “This is all about the Cardinals QB situation. If Lindley is starting the Panthers could crude to a 1st round victory. The Panthers are hot coming out of the regular season and seem to be getting healthy at the right time. “
– Dennis Esser Coach Esser “The Cardinals backed into the playoffs and have lost four of their last six. Arizona has no run game and you just can’t be one-dimensional in the postseason. “
– Matt De Lima FF Toolbox “The Cardinals have lost 4 of their last 6 games by an average of over two touchdowns per game to close the season. Ryan Lindley has a career 2-7 record and the Cards have lost by an average of 17.7 points with him at the helm. The spread is quite large but I’ll bet against a young QB with a 2 to 10 career TD-INT ratio every time especially since the Panthers defense is starting to return to last year’s form.”
– Sean Morris Bruno Boys “When Drew Stanton is your best case scenario at quarterback, you’re having issues at the position.”
– John Paulsen 4for4.com “The Panthers just pummeled Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons and now get Ryan Lindley at home. I anticipate a relatively low scoring game but expect Carolina to cover the spread.”
– Zach Greubel Gridiron Experts “In a shock to no one, Arizona choked down their chance at a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout while searching for a competent replacement at the quarterback position. They are still yet to find one, and it’s gonna cost them in the opening round.”
– Wayne Bretsky BretskyBall “The Panthers have been hot over the last month, while Arizona has struggled to do anything offensively with Ryan Lindley at the helm. With Drew Stanton ruled out again for the Wild Card round, it’s hard to envision the Cardinals keeping pace at Carolina. “
– Jason Willan Gridiron Experts “Caaaaaam. Okay, I don’t trust Arizona’s Ryan Lindley-led offense against the Panthers defense that is playing phenomenal as of late.”
– Adam Pfeifer ProjectRoto “The Panthers played wretched defense for much of the season, but they’ve allowed 33 points over their last four games and seem to have fixed things on that side of the ball. The Cardinals, meanwhile, haven’t been able to stop the run lately, and Carolina is going to come at them with a run-based attack. Bruce Arians’ offense simply doesn’t function without a QB who can throw a decent deep ball, and Ryan Lindley doesn’t cut it. The number on this one feels like it’s begging people to pick Arizona, but I like Carolina to win comfortably.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice The Football Girl “It’s true that Arizona is pretty beat up and yes, Carolina is getting it all together at the right time. However, a 6.5 point spread is just too generous in my opinion.”
– The FFGhost Dynasty League Football “For this one, I think it’s going to swing on a special team’s play and especially defensive turnovers. With this game being a later start, Arizona will be taking the field the same time as they would at home for an early game; so that west coast travel won’t be as big of a factor. With the Cardinals tough corners and a good run defense, I think Cam Newton and Greg Olsen will have to dink and dunk down the field. I don’t think the Panthers offense is set up to blow out the Cardinals; especially coming off their personal Super Bowl last week in Atlanta. But the Panthers defense is so hot right now, against a backup quarterback that was awful in the second half against the 49ers last week. The Panthers defense will dominate field position and with some turnovers, allow Graham Gano to kick them into the divisional round. I’ll take the hottest team in the league right now at home, despite giving up the points. Give me Carolina -6.5.”
– Scott Whitfield Roto Rankings “This Cards team had a good run, but winning on the road with Ryan Lindley at the helm is a tall task.”
– Jeff Ratcliffe Pro Football Focus “The Panthers might have the worst record in the playoffs, but this team is playing some great football right now. Their defense has finally returned to the form from last season, and Cam Newton his healthy and producing. The Cardinals are decimated by injuries and just aren’t the same team from earlier this season. “
– Jeff Paur RTSports “Maybe he’s getting healthy at the right time or maybe the car accident lit a fire under him. Either way, Cam Newton has been hot in recent weeks. He’s looked sharp and had great production while showing excellent decision making. A trait at which he’s suffered at various times in the past. He and the Panthers will be facing a tough Arizona defense, but I expect them to be able to power their way through against a Cardinals team that is beyond decimated. I don’t expect Arizona to be able to put up enough offense to have a chance at this one. It was a good run for them though. One for the books. “
– Kelly Smelser Punch Drunk Wonderland “The Cardinals simply can’t score and I don’t see that changing this weekend. Carolina was terrible for almost 2/3 of the season, but it seems they’ve finally turned things around and Cam Newton is finally healthy. Don’t expect a high scoring game, but think Panthers will cover.”
– Russell Clay Dynasty League Football |
Thanks to the experts for giving us their picks. Agree or disagree? You can discuss in the comment section below.
