The Arizona Cardinals will face off against the Carolina Panthers at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd. This matchup is being played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

The Panthers, the underdog at +171 on the money line, will host the Cardinals at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. The Cardinals are favored on the road with a point spread of -4. The over/under line is set at 47 points, and this week 16 NFC matchup is being televised on FOX.

• Date: Sunday, December 22nd
• Time: 1:00 ET
• Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
• TV: FOX

Cardinals vs Panthers

With a 7-7 record, the Cardinals are 3rd in the NFC West and 10th in the conference standings. They have a +0.6 scoring margin and are 9-5 against the spread, including a 6-2 mark as underdogs. Arizona ranks 14th in our power rankings and has a 12.6% chance of making the playoffs.

After three straight losses, the Cardinals bounced back in week 15 with a 30-17 win over the Patriots. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites, and the 47 combined points narrowly hit the over (46.5). Arizona’s O/U record is 6-7-1, with the over hitting in two straight games.

With a 3-11 record, the Panthers sit 32nd in our power rankings and have a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs. Carolina has lost four straight games, including a 30-14 home loss to the Cowboys in week 15. The Panthers were 2.5-point favorites in that game but couldn’t get the win, bringing their home record to 2-6.

Carolina is 6-8 against the spread this season, with all six of their ATS wins coming as underdogs. They have an average scoring margin of -12.2 points per game and an O/U record of 10-4. Their games have averaged 47.5 points, compared to an average line of 43.1.

Cardinals Injury Report

• Matt Prater – Left Knee (Out)
• Angelo Blackson – Undisclosed (Out)
• Will Hernandez – Knee (Out)
• Justin Jones – Triceps (Out)
• Bilal Nichols – Stinger (Out)
• Dennis Gardeck – Knee (Out)
• Mack Wilson Sr. – Concussion (Questionable)
• Markus Bailey – Suspension (Out)
• Carter O’Donnell – Undisclosed (Out)
• Blake Gillikin – Right Foot (Out)
• Jesse Luketa – Thigh (Questionable)
• BJ Ojulari – Knee (Out)
• Trey Benson – Ankle (Questionable)
• Emari Demercado – Back (Out)
• Max Melton – Shin (Questionable)
• Elijah Jones – Heel (Questionable)

Panthers Injury Report

• Anthony Brown – Thumb (Out)
• Shaq Thompson – Achilles (Out)
• Miles Sanders – Ankle (Out)
• Austin Corbett – Bicep (Out)
• Ian Thomas – Calf (Out)
• Derrick Brown – Knee (Out)
• Stephen Sullivan – Knee (Out)
• Jonathon Brooks – Knee (Out)
• Trevin Wallace – Shoulder (Questionable)
• Xavier Legette – Groin (Questionable)
• Raheem Blackshear – Chest (Questionable)
• Dillon Johnson – Undisclosed (Out)
• Popo Aumavae – Undisclosed (Out)

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Kyler Murray has shown improvement over the last three games, culminating in a 23/30, 224-yard performance in week 15, with a passer rating of 97 and no interceptions. In week 14, he threw for 259 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, and in week 13, he had 260 yards with 2 interceptions. James Conner rushed for 110 yards on 16 carries in week 15, and Trey McBride led the team with 9 receptions for 87 yards.

Arizona ranks 12th in our offensive power rankings, averaging 22.4 points per game (13th) and 351.4 yards per game (11th). They are 21st in passing yards per game and 6th in rushing, with 141.5 yards per game on the ground. The Cardinals are 9th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion percentage.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offensive line struggled in week 15, allowing six sacks on Bryce Young in their loss to the Cowboys. Young finished with 219 yards, completing 19 of 28 passes, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Chuba Hubbard led the rushing attack with 32 yards on 10 carries, while Jalen Coker had 110 receiving yards on four catches.

Heading into week 16, the Panthers rank 27th in our offensive power rankings. They are 25th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game, and 30th in total yards, with 288.9 per game. Carolina ranks 26th in third-down conversions, with a 34.7% success rate.

Cardinals Team Defense

The Cardinals’ defense played well on third downs in their 30-17 win over the Patriots, allowing just a 0% conversion rate. They also came away with an interception and two sacks. Despite giving up 116 rushing yards on 24 attempts, Arizona held New England to just 17 points and 311 total yards. The Patriots did have some success through the air, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt and completing 82.6% of their passes.

Arizona’s defense did a good job of limiting big plays, as the Patriots managed just one touchdown and struggled to sustain drives, going 0% on third down conversions.

Panthers Team Defense

In their 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, the Panthers’ defense gave up 211 rushing yards on 40 attempts. Despite holding Dallas to 199 yards passing, Carolina allowed three passing touchdowns. The Panthers’ defense struggled on third downs, allowing the Cowboys to convert 50% of their third down attempts.

Carolina’s defense managed just one sack in the game and lost the QB hit and tackles for loss differentials, with -7 and -6, respectively. The Panthers will look to improve their run defense and tighten up in the red zone in future games.

Cardinals vs Panthers Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Cardinals have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 7-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 21 points per game in this stretch.
• Through their last three home contests, the Panthers offense has averaged 12 points per game while allowing an average of 30. Carolina posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Panthers have gone 3-0 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
• Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Arizona has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.

Cardinals vs Panthers Prediction

For this week 16 matchup between the Cardinals and Panthers, we have the Panthers as 4-point favorites at home. However, our pick against the spread is to take the Cardinals to not only cover but win the game, with a final score of 21-18.

As for the best bet to make on the point spread, we like the Panthers to cover as home underdogs. The point spread pick is to take the Panthers to cover at home.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.