The San Francisco 49ers have filled most of their practice squad, and likely settled on most if not all of their 53-man roster, and now, we’re into game week! The 49ers are preparing to face the Carolina Panthers, and will look to extend their six-game winning streak in season opening games.
The line for this game opened back in April with the 49ers as four-point underdogs. The line climbed as high as six points, and is currently settled on Panthers -5.5.
Cam Newton missed most of the preseason, but got back into game action in Week 3 and appears to be good to go. There were some questions but the Panthers were able to work him back in time. Ron Rivera has said they would have liked to get him more preseason work, but they liked what they saw in his limited snaps.
Betting is coming in fairly heavy on the Panthers. After a down 2016, expectations have risen considerably, and the offense in particular is expected to do big things with the addition of Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel.
I do think the Panthers bounce back this season, but the 49ers could give them a surprise in Week 1. Right now, the public is siding heavily with the Panthers, with over 70 percent of wagers coming in on the Panthers, according to Odds Shark. When I see the public coming in so heavily on one side, I am easily tempted to go on the other side. The 49ers six-game winning streak in season-openers really has no bearing on this one since each season is entirely different from the last, but with the public wagering heavily on the Panthers, I might have to consider the 49ers at +5.5!