The New England Patriots look to continue their high-scoring ways Sunday when they face the Carolina Panthers at home as nine-point favorites on the Week 4 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
New England has mowed down opposing defenses since late last season, averaging almost 34.9 points per game over its past nine contests ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Panthers vs. Patriots betting matchup at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots’ offense kept rolling last week, as Tom Brady orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback to seal a 36-33 win over the Houston Texans as 13 1/2-point home chalk. However, New England’s defense has emerged as a major concern during the first month of the season, surrendering 31.3 points per game over the first three weeks and contributing to the squad’s 1-2 record against the spread.
The recent swoon at the sportsbooks puts the brakes on an eight-game ATS win streak that culminated in the Patriots’ 34-28 win over Atlanta as three-point chalk in Super Bowl LI.
New England also has been forced to overcome second-half deficits in two of its past three victories. However, the Patriots’ recent uncharacteristic unpredictability has been countered by a reliable 7-0 run for the over in totals betting, according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
While the Patriots have struggled to contain opposing offenses, the Panthers travel to Foxboro, Mass., searching for answers to offensive woes that have limited them to just 15 points per game over their first three outings of the campaign.
Carolina opened the season on a high note, knocking off San Francisco 23-3 as four-point road chalk, but has struggled with point production in the past two weeks. Quarterback Cam Newton has failed to find the end zone since completing two touchdown passes against the 49ers, and the Panthers now sit near the bottom in most team offense statistical categories, producing a meager 276.7 total yards per game.
That has extended the squad’s run of inconsistency at the sportsbooks, with a 6-8-3 ATS record in its past 17 overall, including a 1-1-1 mark this season. However, Carolina has also surrendered a league-best 241.7 yards per game and owns a 4-1-1 ATS mark in its past six dates away from Bank of America Stadium.
Sunday’s contest marks the first meeting between these teams since November 2013. The home team has prevailed in each of their past five clashes, however, the Panthers have covered in their past four dates with the Patriots, including a pair of visits to New England while pegged as underdogs by at least seven points.
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