The Arizona Cardinals will face the Carolina Panthers Sunday in Week 16. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium.
The Cardinals are favored in the game. They won last week, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Panthers have lost four in a row.
Who will win this game? Below are come expert picks and predictions for the game from around the internet.
The Cardinals should be able to make easy work of the Panthers. Carolina is awful against the run, allowing the most yards and the most yards per attempt, which means both James Conner and recently elevated backup Michael Carter should put up numbers. They don't cover tight ends well, which means Trey McBride could break through for his first touchdown catch of the season. They do not play that well offensively. And, after two wins in a row and close losses to playoff contenders, the Panthers look like a team who peaked and now is coming back to earth. This should be a rather boring multiple-score win for the Cardinals.
Cardinals 31, Panthers 20
For three consecutive weeks, the Cardinals inactives were all healthy scratches although running back Emari Demercado and punter Blake Gillikin were placed on injured reserve the day before last week's game against the Patriots. This week is a different story, placing added emphasis on the "next-man-up" cliché. Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and inside linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. are out, while backup running back Trey Benson will also be inactive. Outside linebacker Jesse Luketa, a core special teams player, was declared out Friday and then later placed on injured reserve. The line will have Kelvin Beachum at left tackle and rookie Isaiah Adams presumably making his third consecutive start at right guard, while left guard Evan Brown was added to the injury report Friday with a neck injury.
The Panthers had played five consecutive one-score games, winning two, with two going to overtime before four turnovers doomed them in last week's 16-point loss to the Cowboys. The Cardinals should be able to control the game with their running attack and perhaps this will be defensive lineman Darius Robinson's breakout game in chilly Charlotte.
Cardinals 24, Panthers 13
First and foremost, the long national nightmare will be over -- as Cardinals tight end Trey McBride finally notches his first touchdown of the 2024 season. Oh, and his team -- who are a pretty tough matchup for the Panthers -- will probably win. Cardinals 30, Panthers 24.
Of the 10 NFL Network experts picking the game, nine pick the Cardinals to win. Most expect a one-score game.
NFL Pick Watch tracks expert picks and has fan picks as well.
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