Houston Texans vs Carolina Panthers Betting Preview

The Houston Texans vs Carolina Panthers NFL week 2 matchup kicks off at 1:00 PM EST. Super Bowl talk is being thrown around about the Carolina Panthers by experts and the everyday fans alike after the Panthers 27-13 win against the St. Louis Rams. Online betting giant Sportsbook.com has made the Carolina Panthers -6 point home favorites in NFL week 2.

When the Panthers have won SU at home they are an astounding 42-6 ATS! The Texans took care of a depleted Kansas City Chiefs team covering the -3 spread with an impressive 20-3 win in their opener. Schaub looked very sharp in the game completing 18-22 passes. With the addition of Ahman Green and the emergence of first overall pick DE Mario Williams this team looks improved. One X-factor in this game will be each teams DB’s able to contain Houston’s Andre Johnson and Carolina’s Steve Smith. Online sportsbook SportsBetting.com has made the Houston Texans +7 point road underdogs.

Last week Johnson roasted the Chiefs secondary for 7 catches for 142 yards and a 77 Yd. TD grab. Andre has arrived as arguably the best receiver in the game. Solid Carolina CB Ken Lucas will have the assignment of covering Johnson but if he is unable to contain him Carolina could find themselves in a hole early. The Texans Dunta Robinson will have the task of trying to cover perennial All-Pro WR Steve Smith. This is a marquee match-up as Robinson is one of the top cover corners in the NFL.

One match-up that could give the Panthers the upper hand in this battle will be the battle between the Texans strong set of Linebackers vs Carolina’s vicious 2 back rushing assault of Deshaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams. This game will be a good barometer for both teams to find out where they stand. With Carolina’s popularity I could see money pouring in on the Panthers possibly pushing the line as high as -8 by game time.