Panthers vs. Cardinals Week 10 Picks: Injuries Loom Large for Arizona and Carolina

Sportsbook Review

Last Updated: November 13, 2021 11:44 AM EST • 1 min 60 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

James Conner of the Arizona Cardinals runs the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, and we share our exclusive FanDuel promo code with new U.S. bettors ahead of the Broncos vs. Cardinals game. — James Conner of the Arizona Cardinals runs the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images via AFP.

The Arizona Cardinals have produced the NFL's best record after nine weeks. They now host the Carolina Panthers, who have lost five of their last six games. We make our top Panthers vs Cardinals picks.

This is a really tough spot for the Panthers, who will be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for the next four-to-six weeks. Although he hasn't been playing well, Darnold is much better than every available alternative.

Last week's win was a huge statement for the Cardinals, who started Colt McCoy at quarterback. Kyler Murray is listed as questionable for Week 10, although the opening line for this game seems to be based on him playing. Murray missed his fifth straight practice on Thursday.

Here are my picks and predictions for the NFL's Week 10 matchup between the Panthers and the Cardinals (odds via FanDuel, and pick confidence based on a one-to-five star scale).

Panthers vs. Cardinals Game Info

Date/Time: Sunday, November 14 at 4:05 p.m. ETTV: FOXLocation: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Panthers vs. Cardinals Odds Analysis

Due to the uncertainty surrounding Murray, this line is available at either Cardinals -10 or -10.5 depending on the sportsbook you choose. Darnold's absence is also affecting this line, but both teams are dealing with a laundry list of health issues. Carolina is 7-2 against the spread, while the Cardinals are 4-5 ATS.

Meanwhile, if you like the Over, take it now. That number is sure to catch a ton of steam if Murray is announced as the Cardinals' starter. Arizona's defense has looked like one of the league's best, and the Under is sure to get a lot of action due to the Panthers' quarterback situation until we get another injury update.

Both teams haven't been covering the Over, with Arizona 4-5 and Carolina at 2-7.

Panthers vs. Cardinals Betting Picks

Cardinals -10 (-110) ?Under 44 (-110) ?

Panthers vs. Cardinals Predictions

Cardinals -10 (-110)

This line will be much lower if Colt McCoy starts for the Cardinals. However, Arizona is the better pick regardless because of Carolina's injury situation. They could be without Darnold, in addition to starting tackle Cam Erving and center Matt Paradis.

P.J. Walker will be the Panthers' starting quarterback, and he hasn't been impressive over limited NFL experience. There isn't enough of a sample size to use while evaluating him, but there's no reason to believe he'll be successful against a stout Arizona defense.

Under 44 (-110)

The return of Christian McCaffrey is definitely a boost to this Panthers offense. However, the Cardinals will stack the box and force Walker to beat them. That's the best strategy since the weakest area of their defense is stopping the run. Carolina likely won't score into the double digits in this game, as Arizona is giving up just 17.2 points per game.

As for Arizona's offense, while the Cardinals do score a ton of points (30.8 per game), Murray hasn't practiced in a few weeks. He's dealing with an ankle injury, so I would expect Arizona's offense to be slightly more conservative than usual if Murray plays.