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

The NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles will move on without starting quarterback Nick Foles when they host the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.

The Eagles lost Foles to a broken collarbone in a 31-21 win over the Houston Texans last week as two-point road favorites and will have Mark Sanchez under center against the Panthers, who are winless in their past four games at 0-3-1.

Point spread: The Eagles opened as six-point favorites; the total was 48 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 29.5-16.6 Eagles

Why the Panthers can cover the spread

Everybody seems to be down on Carolina right now based on what they saw last week. Granted, the Panthers looked terrible in a 28-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, but they are a better team than that, and they will be facing a banged-up Philadelphia defense that will be without linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who tore his Achilles against the Texans.

Carolina’s defense is solid, and it will be facing Sanchez, who has a tendency to look good one play and bad the next. The Panthers have also gone 9-3 against the spread in their past 12 games as road underdogs.

They have also won outright as underdogs the past two times on Monday night, including one win against these same Eagles.

Why the Eagles can cover the spread

The Eagles know that the secret to stopping Carolina offensively is to put pressure on quarterback Cam Newton. They saw the Saints do it last week and will try to use the same game plan here. Philadelphia is trying to seize control of the NFC East from the Dallas Cowboys, who lost last week and appear to be a lot more dependent on Tony Romo than even they probably thought.

The door is open for the Eagles to make a run, but a tough road game against the Green Bay Packers is on deck, and they have only four home games left, including this one. Philly has been solid as a home favorite lately, going 6-2-1 ATS in its past nine at Lincoln Financial Field.

Smart pick

Sanchez is the X-factor in this game, as he has been inconsistent throughout his NFL career. If he plays well, the Eagles have a good chance to cover the spread, especially if it stays at less than a touchdown.

However, they are 0-3 straight up and ATS in their last three home games against NFC South opponents, while the Panthers are 3-1 SU and versus the line in their past four meetings with NFC East foes.

The better bet looks like the over, with favorable trends backing high-scoring performances from both teams. The over is 3-0 in Carolina’s last three games as a road underdog and 3-1 in Philadelphia’s last four as a home favorite.

The over is also 5-1 in the last six home games versus NFC South teams for the Eagles.

Betting trends

• The total has gone over in five of Carolina's last seven games.
• Philadelphia is 8-1 SU in its last nine games at home.

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury updates and line-move updates.