The Carolina Panthers are on the road on Thursday night and favored by more than a touchdown on the spread over the Houston Texans. Both these teams are 2-0 against the line this year; the Texans winning on opening day against the Jacksonville Jaguars and winning on the spread last week in a straight-up road loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The Panthers first two weeks have been more impressive.
On opening day they won at home and covered the point spread against the New York Jets. Last Sunday, they upset the New Orleans Saints, 26-7. The Saints had opened their season with a 38-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers, then were throttled by the Panthers.
Are the Panthers the surprise team of the NFL this year?
With newly acquired quarterback Sam Darnold and the explosive running of Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers attack has solid potential. But the real strength of this young Panthers ball club is the defense head coach Matt Rhule has assembled.
So, are the Panthers ready to be favored by more than a touchdown on the road?