Originally posted on 08/22/2014:

Patriots vs. Panthers
Recommendation: Patriots -5.5
The 3rd preseason game is generally the “Dress rehearsal”for most teams. It’s the time we’ll see the starters playing the longest andexecuting their best. Generally the Patriots don’t care at all about wins andlosses in these exhibition games, but they’ll be a touch more motivated todaygiven what happened in their matchup with this team last year. Week 11 onMonday night the Panthers beat the Pat’s 24-20. On the last play of the game,Panthers LB Luke Kuechly absolutely mauled Rob Gronkowski. For some unknownreason, the refs picked up the flag and ended the game. Bill Belichick andcompany didn’t forget about that one, and given how well New England lit up thescoreboard last week vs. Philly, they will undoubtedly put up a big numbertonight against Carolina.
The Panthers got the victory last week, but they’re in for adown year after losing some key personnel. Cam Newton is coming off of anklesurgery so the coaching staff will be keeping a close eye on him. These teamsalso didn’t hold joint practices this week as so many teams do prior to theseason. The Pat’s have almost every advantage in this game and with a littleextra motivation added to the equation, this one looks like a strong bet. Takethe Patriots -5.5.