Panthers (4-5) at Cardinals (8-1)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
TV: Fox
Tipico Sportsbook line: Cardinals by 9 ⁄2
1
Panthers’ keys to victory: In the Cardinals’ loss and one near loss, the opponents forced turnovers and ran the ball. With RB Christian McCaffrey back in the lineup, Carolina needs to rely on him. Arizona entered Week 9 allowing 120.1 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt, the second highest in the league. The Panthers will need to lean on their top-five defense to limit Arizona’s top-five scoring offense.
Cardinals’ keys to victory: The formula has been consistent this season. When they get an early lead and create turnovers, they are pretty much unbeatable. If the Cardinals do that, the Panthers won’t be able to get McCaffrey involved. After Carolina QB Sam Darnold’s three interceptions in Week 9, the Cardinals will be willing to let him try to beat their top-10 pass defense. Arizona has scored over 30 points in seven games this season and allowed 20 or fewer points seven times. Continuing to do that is a recipe for more wins.
Matchup to watch: Panthers LB Haason Reddick vs. Cardinals LT D.J. Humphries. The Cardinals let Reddick walk in free agency after leading the team with 12.5 sacks in 2020. He enters with 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss and will want to show his former team what it’s missing.
Who wins? With the expected return of QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals will keep rolling offensively. They control the game with their rushing attack and force turnovers defensively.
Cardinals 31, Panthers 21