This is an 8* play on CAROLINA

Carolina has been bet from favorite to underdog in this final preseason matchup and we don't have the foggiest idea why. It's not like Pittsburgh has any special motivation to win tonight. Sure, a win tonight would mean a perfect 4-0 preseason for the Black & Gold, but it's not like that means anything. The last two weeks have brought low-scoring victories over Kansas City (17-7) and Tennessee (18-6). We don't expect much more in the way of scoring from Pittsburgh here, so laying points with them isn't a great idea. They haven't been favored since failing to cover against Tampa Bay in the first preseason game. The Panthers got a scare last week with Cam Newton hurting his ankle in an ugly 10-3 loss to New England. Newton should still be good to go for the regular season opener, but the rest of the team will be motivated here to erase the memory of last week's poor effort. Play on CAROLINA

AAA