Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers (-3.5), Total 42.5 |
This game will receive plenty of media attention, as first-year quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton face off in Week 3 of the 2011 NFL season. Both players were taken in the first round in this year’s draft, with Newton going with the first overall pick.
Carolina has started its prized pick in both games to start the season, while Jacksonville is putting its trust in its own. “He’s got all the confidence in the world,” commented Jaguars offensive linemen Uche Nwaneri. “He’s got a good swagger about him.”
Gabbert replaced Luck McCown this past Sunday, completing 5-of-6 passes for 52 yards. It was an opportunity that he took advantage of, as veteran signal-caller Luck McCown started the game 6-of-19 passes with four interceptions.
The Jaguars still have star running back Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield, which will allow Gabbert the ability to settle into his new role, while looking for opportunities to go down field in play-action pass opportunities.
It’s been a series that’s been dominated by Jacksonville, as the franchise has won three of four meetings, including a 37-6 rout the last time the two teams met in 2007. The Jaguars finished with 427 yards of total offense in that contest.
Jaguars Betting players will find that the Jaguars are 7-10 ATS on the road and 12-13 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus campaigns.
Carolina is going to want its offense to become more balanced, as the team has passed 83 times and ran the ball just 48. That’s quite a disparity when having a rookie quarterback and an experienced backfield.
Running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have combined to rush for 74 yards on 30 carries, which is quite a drop off from both of them gaining over 1,110 yards just two years ago.
Still, Newton has been impressive in the pocket, ranking second in the league in terms of passing yards coming into Week 3. Last week, he set a single-game franchise record with 432 passing yards, but also was intercepted three times.
“I don’t think anybody in this organization wants us to rush for under 100 and throw for 400 ever week, especially without points to back it up,” commented offensive tackle Jordan Gross. “We’ve got to do better on the ground.”
Leading the NFC and ranking second in the NFL with 476 yards per game is nice, but coming in ranked 18th in terms of points, scoring 22 a game isn’t getting it done. Carolina is 0-2 as a result.
Panthers betting fans will notice that the Panthers are 14-21 ATS over the last two-plus seasons, including a 7-10 ATS mark at home in betting predictions.
In the end, Jacksonville is likely to draw betting interest due to its 5-2 ATS mark in Week 3 under head coach Jack Del Rio, while Carolina is 1-7 ATS in September.
