The Carolina Panthers are 8-0 straight up and 7-0-1 against the spread over their last eight regular season games at home. The Panthers will try to improve to 3-0 SU and ATS on the season this Sunday night hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Carolina is a 3.5-point favorite at home according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. With an excellent recent record of success at home and a sharp start to the season on both sides of the ball, Carolina could provide good value at -3.5 on Sunday night.
Computer Prediction: 26-25 Carolina (per Odds Shark)
With Cam Newton's rib injury keeping the star quarterback out of Carolina's season opener on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Panthers were a 5-point underdog on Week 1.
But a strong performance by the defense and backup quarterback Derek Anderson led to a 20-14 outright upset. The defense was even more impressive in Carolina's 24-7 home win over the Detroit Lions, and Cam Newton looked good in his return to action.
The Panthers could be a solid sleeper pick in the suddenly wide open NFC South.
The Pittsburgh Steelers started the season off with a bang jumping out to a 27-3 first-half lead over the Cleveland Browns. But in six quarters since then, the Steelers have been outscored 50-9, narrowly hanging on for a 30-27 win over Cleveland and losing 26-6 to Baltimore.
The Steelers finished last season on a 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS tear, but their 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS start looks more reminiscent of the slow start of 0-4 SU and ATS that plagued Pittsburgh last season.
The UNDER is 9-2 in Carolina's last 11 home games and 5-3 in Pittsburgh's last eight games on the road. The total for this game is set at 41.5 at sportsbooks seen on OddsShark.com.
Pittsburgh's misstep in Baltimore might just be an anomaly for what will end up being a solid team this year. But while bettors don't know much about what they can expect from Pittsburgh, early returns on Carolina have been fantastic.
Sunday night's Pittsburgh vs. Carolina matchup should go to the home team as the 3.5-point betting favorite.