With the New Year already started, many people are thinking about the upcoming Super Bowl. What are the odds on the Panthers winning the big game this year? Let’s take a look…
Panthers vs. Patriots
This year’s Super Bowl is being played between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots finished the regular season with an undefeated record and won their ninth Super Bowl. The Panthers also had an excellent regular season, going 12-4 and making the playoffs as a wild card. Now they’ll have the chance to prove that their postseason performance was no fluke.
These two teams are all-time greats at competing in the Super Bowl. The Patriots are the most successful team in NFL history, having won 15 Super Bowl titles and appearing in 27 consecutive Bowl Matches. The Panthers are no slouch, winning their first Super Bowl in 1974 and appearing in the game every year since. These are the two teams that play in the Super Bowl every year, so you know that there’s going to be a lot of hype leading up to this game.
Super Bowl History
The Super Bowl has had a bit of a rough history. It was first played in 1967 and was originally known as the “Fiesta Bowl” due to the large number of Mexican restaurants in the area that serve Tex-Mex cuisine. In 1981, the game was renamed the “Super Bowl” in order to make it more appealing to a mainstream audience. For the first time, the pre-game festivities included musical performances and fireworks.
The early years of the Super Bowl were marked by low TV ratings and poor attendance. The game attracted a small audience, with only a few million people regularly tuning in to watch. In 1974, the American Football League and the National Football League agreed to combine forces for the first time ever and play a championship game in the spring. It was officially dubbed the “Super Bowl” because it was viewed as a combination of the two leagues’ best players. In those days, only the very best would play in the Super Bowl. These days, it’s pretty much anyone’s game.
Panthers’ Strength
The Panthers have some really good odds in terms of winning the Super Bowl. One point to make is that they’re a really strong team. Outside of quarterback Cam Newton, the only other starters on their offensive roster are running back Antone Exum, wide receiver Jerricho Cotillard, and tight end Chase Coffield. That’s it. These are low-profile names in and of themselves, but the Panthers made history by taking the least amount of starters in the history of the Super Bowl.
New England is the favorite in this year’s Super Bowl, however, it’s important to keep in mind the Panthers’ historical success. In addition to appearing in four Super Bowls and winning two titles, the Panthers have also made the postseason 13 out of the past 14 years. That’s an incredible sustained success rate. Even so, they’ve never faced the Patriots in the big game, so this will be an all-time high for them.
There are a few reasons why the Panthers may be able to pull off an upset victory in this year’s Super Bowl. The biggest one has to do with New England’s regular season. The Patriots lost two games this year, one to New York and one to Miami. Those are the only two teams that finished the regular season with a perfect record. If you add up all of New England’s wins and losses, they probably had the least amount of points scored and allowed in the entire league. That means fewer opportunities for the Patriots to screw up in the big game.
On the other hand, the Panthers’ defense was dominant throughout the season. They allowed the second fewest points per game (21.8) and ranked 9th overall in terms of yards allowed (282.8 per game). Those are some truly amazing numbers, especially considering they played most of their games during the regular season and didn’t allow many opportunities for big plays since they’re an odd-man-out every year in the NFL and it’s against the rules to return a hail mary pass.
Panthers’ Weaknesses
The Panthers are absolutely loaded with weaknesses, too. First of all, they don’t have an offensive playmaker on the roster. Second, quarterback Cam Newton is an amazing talent, but he’s also incredibly turnover-prone. Last year, he threw 17 interceptions and only 12 touchdowns. Third, their defense was good, but not great. They allowed 21.8 points per game and ranked 9th overall in terms of yards allowed (282.8 per game).
Those are just a few of the significant hurdles that the Panthers need to overcome in order to pull off an upset victory. One more thing, the NFL is now in its latest season and the rules have changed. Back in the day, defenses had to play a certain number of downs before the ball was kicked off. This season, teams get to stay in the same stadium for four downs, so the field is longer. The extra down gives the offense an advantage. The last thing that the Panthers need is for a fast-paced game that wears them out before the end.
For more information on the subject, check out this article from a top-tier sports betting site. They break everything down including detailed statistics and analysis of all the games leading up to this year’s Super Bowl.