Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers Odds, Analysis, NFL Betting Pick

Teams become contenders by, among other things, winning on the road. The Philadelphia Eagles lost their last seven road contests last year, but they're 2-1 both straight up and against the spread on the road this year. In a big game in the NFC, the East-leading Eagles challenge the South-leading Carolina Panthers on Thursday night in Charlotte.

NFL point spread: The Panthers opened as three-point favorites; the total was 45 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 25.0-17.1 Panthers (NFL picks on every game)

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Why the Eagles can cover the spread

Philadelphia carries a three-game winning streak into Thursday night, after demolishing Arizona last week, 34-7. The Eagles scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game and snuffed the Cardinals from there, easily covering a six-point spread.

Philadelphia outgained Arizona 419-307, outrushed the Cardinals 122-31 and won time of possession by a 36/24 margin. Quarterback Carson Wentz threw four touchdown passes, including a pair of long ones, and hit 11-for-12 on third downs. And the Eagles defense had its best game of the year, holding Arizona to a single touchdown.

Wentz is receiving good reviews, and why not? But with a recent boost from running back LeGarrette Blount, paired with the second-ranked run defense in the league, Philadelphia has outrushed its last three opponents by a per-game average of 176-46.

Why the Panthers can cover the spread

The Panthers just picked up their third road win of this season already, outlasting the Lions in Detroit, 27-24. Carolina trailed early, 10-3, but used a 24-0 run to take a 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter. The Panthers allowed the Lions to rally within a field goal with three minutes to go but secured the outright victory as two-point dogs with a big third-down conversion from quarterback Cam Newton.

On the day, Carolina outgained Detroit 362-242 and won time of possession by a 35/25 split. Newton looked good again, hitting on 26 of 33 throws for 355 yards and three touchdowns, while tight end Ed Dickson, playing in place of the injured Greg Olsen, caught five balls for 175 yards, which is a ton for a tight end.

Meanwhile, the Panthers defense limited the Lions to one touchdown through the first 54 minutes of the game and recorded six sacks.

Two weeks ago, Carolina beat the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots in Foxboro 33-30.

Smart pick

The Eagles own a three-game winning streak, but that came against three teams who are a combined 3-12 this season. The Panthers, on the other hand, just beat a pair of playoff teams from a season ago, both on the road. And Carolina showed some character, avoiding a letdown after the win over New England. Smart money here plays the Panthers at online betting sites.

NFL betting trends

The favored team is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games in this matchup.

The total has gone over in four of the Eagles' last five games against the Panthers.

The Panthers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games at home in October.

All NFL odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.