The NFL is back for Week 12 of the regular season where two teams with very differing fortunes this season go head-to-head as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to face the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium.
The Chiefs had a picture-perfect start to their pursuit of a third consecutive Super Bowl title before defeat last time out saw them move to 9-1 so far, while the Panthers claimed a rare win last time out to move to 7-3 for the season.
We’ll take a look at the game between these two sides and provide you with our best free NFL betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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The Panthers weren’t expected to tear up any trees this season, but their performances have still largely been quite disappointing.
Their opening game of the campaign saw them on the wrong end of a 47-10 thrashing by the New Orleans Saints before a similarly one-sided clash against the Los Angeles Chargers saw them fall to a 26-3 defeat in week 2.
Dave Canales picked up his first win of the season with a 36-22 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, but after that, it went downhill for Carolina as they suffered a five-game losing streak. The Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, and Denver Broncos all earned wins, with the Panthers failing to score more than 20 points in four of those five games.
However, things turned around at home when they faced the Saints for a second time this season, claiming a razor-close 23-22 win in week 9 before a 20-17 overtime win over the New York Giants in Munich, Germany. They come into this game on the back of a bye week.
The reigning champions opened up their season with a big clash against the Baltimore Ravens in week 1 and came away with a vital victory, holding off a late fightback to claim a 27-20 win.
Week 2 wasn’t quite as straightforward as they had to rely on the genius of Patrick Mahomes once again to bail them out late on against the Cincinnati Bengals, coming from behind in the fourth quarter to claim a tight 26-25 win thanks to a last-second field goal from Harrison Butker.
In week 3 it was another routine win over the Atlanta Falcons as they won 22-17, with their dominant defense on show, before a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in week 4 saw them only concede points in the first quarter during a 17-10 win.
They followed that up against the New Orleans Saints in week 5 and earned a dominant 26-13 victory, before a bye in week 6. They returned to action in week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers and claimed a routine 28-18 win, before facing off with the Las Vegas Raiders where Xavier Worthy scored the winning touchdown in a fantastic 27-20 victory on the road.
They then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a highly entertaining game thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback to earn the 30-24 win in overtime, before the Chiefs claimed a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos, but only because the special team blocked a last-second field goal attempt in what was a disappointing performance.
Last time out the team suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to the Buffalo Bills in a great game that saw the hosts claim a 30-21 victory.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Chiefs are going to win this game and put the loss to Buffalo at the back of their minds, but a 12-point swing is a big ask.
In the nine wins that Patrick Mahomes and co have picked up this season, only one of them has come by a margin big enough to see this spread land – when they beat the Saints by 13 back in week 5. With the Panthers coming in well-refreshed following a bye week and two consecutive wins, they will be high on confidence and energy.
Kansas are more likely to focus on getting the defense back on track after allowing 30 points for the first time this season last time out, so while they’ll win the game don’t expect a hugely one-sided affair unless something remarkable happens.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
The Chiefs don’t score a crazily high amount of points considering how good they are and the titles they already have, but they’re capable of carrying their weight in a points total bet.
With the Over set at seeing a total of 42 or more points scored in this game, the season so far suggests it’s likely. Six of the Chiefs’ 10 games so far this season have seen that total surpassed, while eight of the Panthers’ 10 games can say the same.
It will be tight because Carolina aren’t the best scorers around, but if they can focus on the same weaknesses that Buffalo did last week then they will find success and that should help this land.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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