How this week’s injury report affects our picks
The Carolina Panthers opened the practice windows for a number of injured players this week, including sorely needed edge D.J. Wonnum and safety Jordan Fuller. Neither are expected back, however, and thus aren’t going to move the needle on how we treat the odds this week.
Instead, surprise news at quarterback is going to be our main injury event of the week. Let’s take a look at how this week’s injuries will affect the Week 8 outlook:
Andy Dalton
Dalton was involved in a car accident in Charlotte on Tuesday that resulted in an injury to his right thumb. We know that Bryce Young will be starting in his place in Denver this weekend, we do not know how long Dalton will be out.
Jadaveon Clowney
Clowney was listed as a full participant in practice yesterday. He has been sorely missed the last few weeks as he has rehabbed a shoulder injury. Clowney’s return will not be enough on its own to stop the Broncos from scoring on almost every possession, but it does give hope that the Panthers will be fielding a much improved unit in the coming weeks with the return of Wonnum.
Everybody else
The Panthers are once again setting the high score on their injury report with 21 players listed yesterday. The Denver Broncos, on the other hand, had five players on their report. Only one, backup nose tackle Malcolm Roach, was listed as not participating.
The bottom line
I’m going to write this sentence every week until the Panthers re-install a grass field and wrap all of their players in bubble wrap: These teams are not the same pictures of health.
The Panthers are getting healthier, but not quickly enough to affect how we should think about this week. Bet on other games. If you really want to bet on this one, bet against the Panthers.
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