The Carolina Panthers are one of the teams that will be trying to establish a winning attitude vs. the NFL preseason odds. The Panthers are coming off a poor 2009 season and they begin 2010 with a lot of questions. Star wide receiver Steve Smith may not play in some of the early NFL preseason betting games due to a broken left forearm while the battle at quarterback might be interesting to watch.
NFL preseason odds list the Panthers as underdogs in their preseason opener on August 12th on the road at Baltimore. That game could get some interest since it is being televised on ESPN. The Panthers might also be underdogs at home against the Jets in NFL preseason betting in Week 2 but they should be favored against Tennessee in Week 3 and in Week 4 anything is possible in their preseason finale against Pittsburgh.
The Panthers are looking at Matt Moore as their starting quarterback this season and he really needs the time with top wide receiver Steve Smith in the preseason. He is not going to get as much though since Smith has an injury. Smith is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season but how much he plays in the preseason is definitely in question. Smith broke his left forearm playing flag football.
The Panthers want Moore to get a lot of work this preseason so he should get a lot of playing time but they also want to take a long look at rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen. The team also needs a replacement for wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad who retired. Top linebacker Thomas Davis is also out due to injury so they need someone to make tackles. Davis was one of the best defensive players for Carolina last season. The Panthers will look to Jon Beason to take over Davis’ spot. The Panthers may have another defensive concern if cornerback Richard Marshall doesn’t sign his contract tender.
The focus in NFL preseason odds with the Panthers will be on Moore, Clausen and another rookie quarterback, Tony Pike, who the Panthers took in the sixth round of the draft. Carolina needs to have success in the preseason so they can be confident in Moore and the offense heading into the 2010 NFL regular season.