The Carolina Panthers are set to take on the Miami Dolphins in a Week 12 matchup on Sunday. Carolina (7-3) is riding a six-game winning streak that includes victories over the San Francisco 49ers and, most recently, the New England Patriots. Miami (5-5) has been better than expected this season (excluding those that saw the Dolphins as a sleeper team) but at .500 with a four-game losing skid at one point in the season, they're the definition of inconsistent.
Panthers vs. Dolphins 2013, Week 12: Betting odds, trends & pick
The Carolina Panthers are favored and are expected to cover against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina has been a solid bet this season, as they are 7-3 against the spread. If there’s something negative to take away from their spread tendencies, they are just 3-2 against the spread on the road. Then again, they’ve played much better on the road in recent weeks, as evidenced by the 5-0 mark against the spread overall in their last five games.
That said, the last four times these two teams have played each other, the Panthers are 0-4, and 0-4 against the spread. Maybe those stats have caused a swing in the actual lines, given that the Panthers opened up as 3.5-point favorites. The line has widened in their favor of course, with most of the top sites settling in with Carolina favored by 4.5 points, according to OddsShark.
Those numbers seem a little low for a team that just beat both the 49ers and Patriots at their own game. The game against San Francisco was a road game, as well. Miami, meanwhile, has lost five of their last seven games, though they bested the San Diego Chargers in their last outing, 20-16.
Ryan Tannehill has been just OK this season, with 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He's failed to hook up with Mike Wallace as often as hoped when the Dolphins gave him a lucrative contract this offseason. Wallace has just 44 receptions for 534 yards with a single touchdown on the season.
Against a Carolina pass defense that allows just 209.5 passing yards per game, those guys are in for a tough day, to be sure.
Miami is 5-5 against the spread this season, with a 3-2 mark at home. The Dolphins are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games, as well. The over/under for the matchup is right around 41 points. The total has gone over in four of Carolina’s last six games on the road, and over in six of Miami’s last nine games overall.
Smart money is on the Panthers stifling the Panthers a good deal, but their own offensive production has been spotty this season. Carolina should pick up the win and should cover, but the over/under is a little more difficult to predict. Still, the OddsShark prediction is rolling with it:
Pick: Panthers | Computer Prediction: 28-18 Panthers (follow Odds Shark on Twitter for line updates and injury news)
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