Editor’s note: NESN.com’s Mike Cole, Ricky Doyle and Andre Khatchaturian deliver their NFL picks every Thursday of the season, and here’s who they like in the Arizona Cardinals-Carolina Panthers Week 8 game, with the line from OddsShark.
Arizona Cardinals at (-2.5) Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Mike: Cardinals. These guys made fun of me earlier this season when I played up the “revenge factor” in games, but if you don’t think Arizona is looking for payback after last year’s NFC Championship, you don’t know Bruce Arians. I mean, I don’t know him, either, but he seems like the kind of guy who’d want revenge. Also, try to have a worse defense, Carolina. You can’t.
Ricky: Cardinals. Give the ball to David Johnson and get out of the way. The Cardinals don’t have the deep aerial attack they had last season, which is problematic, but they do have one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL. Feed him the rock in some way, shape or form, and good things should happen against the Panthers’ awful D.
Andre: Cardinals. Why would a bye week change the fact that Carolina allows 8.6 yards per pass attempt and can?t get to the quarterback (12 sacks, 23rd) the same way they did last year? Also, I don?t think Carson Palmer has forgotten the way he blew the NFC Championship last season. I?m not a huge believer in revenge factor, but I love it here.
Click to watch “The Spread,” our picks video podcast >>
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas//USA TODAY Sports Images
