New England at Carolina O/U 43
Posted 9/14/2005  5:01PM EST

Read about what's really happening with the New England vs Carolina NFL game.

Welcome to this week's edition of the Pinnacle Pulse where the line managers at Pinnacle Sports look to give you an unprecedented insight into the point spread movement on key games each week plus offer you the inside line on a little gambling theory to help players of all levels crank up their skill level and hopefully their winnings as well!

New England at Carolina O/U 43
This game opened at 45.5, and was quickly bet down by sharps through the key number 44, which hits 3% of the time. The total stabilized at over 43 -108, where we are seeing two-way action.

Last year, New England had the #2 defense in the league, allowing just 16.2 points per game. Despite the off-season losses of Ty Law and other defensive players, New England looked impressive against the Raiders.

The Panther’s defense was slightly above average last year, allowing only 21.2 points per game. Carolina is coming off a 23-20 loss to New Orleans, but the score understates how much offense there was in this game. Between those two teams, there were 646 yards of total offense, which is high relative to 43 total points scored.

The real test on the total might come down to how close the game is in the 4th quarter. If either team is up by exactly two possessions, scoring tends to go up as defenses allow short yardage plays in exchange for time off the clock.

Source: "Pinnacle Pulse"

Read "Behind the Betting Lines" for a weekly insiders view