Week 6 of the NFL season kicks off at Bank of America Stadium with one of the best "Thursday Night Football" matchups in recent memory.
In a clash of first-place teams, the 4-1 Philadelphia Eagles visit the 4-1 Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are three-point favorites. The Over-Under, or total points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 45.
Before you make any bets on this must-see game, you'll want to see what SportsLine handicapper Josh Nagel has to say. He has covered the wagering industry for two decades and won numerous sports handicapping contests. For insightful analysis, Nagel is unmatched.
Nagel has an unusually strong feel for these two teams. In fact, he's 7-0 the past seven times he has picked a game involving the Eagles or Panthers. That's unheard of. And he's gunning for eight in a row Thursday night.
Nagel knows Carolina boasts a more impressive résumé, having just won at New England and then at Detroit. He also knows the Panthers have been hyper-efficient offensively.
Over the past two games, Cam Newton is an eye-popping 48 of 62 passing (77.4 percent) for 671 yards with seven total touchdowns against one turnover. He's averaging a ridiculous 10.9 yards per attempt in that span. He's playing like an MVP after starting the season nursing a shoulder injury.
SportsLine's projections say Newton will keep it up too. They are calling for 250 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday Night Football.
But that doesn't necessarily mean the Panthers cover the three-point spread.
The Eagles' fourth-ranked rush defense just held Arizona to 31 yards on the ground (2.2 yards per carry) in a 34-7 blowout. And Philly's only loss came at Kansas City, the NFL's lone undefeated team. The Eagles are ranked third offensively in yards (397.8) and sixth in points (27.4). SportsLine's projections say they'll hold Panthers RBs Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey under 100 yards rushing combined.
We can tell you Nagel is leaning Under for "Thursday Night Football:" This is a relatively high total for a stadium that has seen a lot of Unders lately (4-1-1 past six). But what about against the spread, which he has made his name picking?
He knows there's a big x-factor that ultimately determines the point spread winner of Eagles-Panthers. And he's sharing it over at SportsLine.
So what side should you back in Eagles-Panthers on "Thursday Night Football?" Visit SportsLine now to see what major x-factor determines which side of Eagles-Panthers you need to be all over, all from the expert who has nailed his past seven picks, and find out.
