Cardinals vs. Panthers 2016, NFL picks and predictions: Arizona and Carolina are poised for a toss-up

After last week’s bizarre and disappointing tie with Seattle, the Arizona Cardinals head to Carolina for Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game.

Both teams have underperformed in comparison to last year’s results. The Cardinals, who last season finished atop the NFC West with a record of 13-3, already have as many losses as their entire 2016 regular-season campaign. Carolina, who made it all the way to the Super Bowl behind Cam Newton’s MVP season, is 1-5 and alone at the bottom of the NFC South.

Despite an underwhelming season thus far, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has history on his side as the team travels to Charlotte. Palmer won 11 of his last 13 starts on the road. Running back David Johnson looks to continue his impressive 2016 campaign, having gained 100 or more scrimmage yards in his past seven contests. He’ll have his work cut out for him, as Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly leads the league with 659 tackles since joining the NFL in 2012.

Cam Newton got the benefit of a little bye week rest after a monstrous Week 6, in which Carolina’s star quarterback threw for 322 yards and had three total touchdowns in a loss to the Saints. Running back Jonathan Stewart piled on two rushing touchdowns in the loss, yet the Panthers’ porous defense once again proved to be the team’s downfall. The Carolina offense will have a much more difficult time lighting up the scoreboard against Arizona, with the Cardinals holding opponents to just 15.7 points per game.

Among the NFL experts, the final result of the game is a real tossup. The ESPN panel is slightly leaning toward the Cardinals by a 5-4 margin. At CBS, five experts picked Carolina and three voted for the Cardinals.

Here at SB Nation, our staff has no clear favorite.

That’s five votes for Carolina, and another five for Arizona. Let’s just pray this one doesn’t end in a tie.