The Carolina Panthers are rested and getting healthier after their bye. They're coming off a brilliant upset win over the Detroit Lions, too.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the long trek back from London after a mindboggling, crushing defeat where victory was essentially secured. The Panthers have the advantage this week, it seems.
Despite that, they're not favored on the road, and some experts aren't willing to pick the Panthers to take the Eagles down.
Expert picks for Eagles vs. Panthers in NFL Week 6 action
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco has picked against the Panthers all season, his seeming disdain for the franchise refusing to go away. He isn't changing his ways this week, either, picking the Eagles to win by three despite giving ample reason the Panthers should win.
"The Panthers are off a bye, while the Eagles are off a trip to London where they lost in brutal fashion to the Jaguars. This is desperation time for the Eagles, but the injuries have piled up. Somehow, though, they will get off the deck to win this behind their defense," he wrote.
His CBS colleague, Jordan Dajani, disagreed, picking the Panthers to win 23-21. "The Eagles are facing a scheduling disadvantage this week that no team has ever been able to overcome. Philly is, of course, coming off an international game and facing a team that is coming off its bye. This has only happened four times, but the team coming off the international game is 0-4 SU and 0-3-1 ATS," Dajani pointed out.
Here's how SI's staff is picking the game:
- Albert Breer: Panthers
- Eva Geitheim: Panthers
- Mitch Goldich: Eagles
- Mike Kadlick: Panthers
- Gilberto Manzano: Panthers
- Conor Orr: Eagles
- John Pluym: Eagles
- Matt Verderame: Eagles
Bleacher Report's Wes O'Donnell is taking the Panthers to cover the spread and win outright. "I'm done trying to figure out the Eagles. The Eagles clearly cannot figure out the Eagles. And while the Panthers' defense is a great opportunity for any offense to get right, Carolina had a bye week and then some to prepare for Philly. This Panthers team has defied the odds and shown up in tough situations since last season," he wrote.
His colleagues Gary Davenport, Kristopher Knox, Moe Moton, and Brent Sobleski agree, while Ian Hanford and Brad Gagnon disagree, picking the Eagles.
At ESPN, only Pam Maldonado and Dan Graziano picked the Eagles to beat the Panthers. The Athletic's Vic Tafur was obscenely blunt: "The Eagles are coming off two heartbreaking losses, they struggle against play-action passes (a Panthers staple), and it wouldn’t shock me if this is Sirianni’s last game as head coach."
What does this mean? Despite the overwhelming advantages the Panthers have in this game, there's still a perception that the Eagles are the Eagles and the Panthers are the woeful Panthers.
That makes Week 6's contest a perfect opportunity to reshape the narrative, although it's a little unfair that a primetime victory over the Detroit Lions didn't do that for the Panthers.
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