49ers vs. Panthers: Odds, Selection, Where to Watch, Stream “MNF”

The San Francisco 49ers host the Carolina Panthers on the Week 12 edition of “Monday Night Football” as San Francisco picked up a blowout win over the rival Arizona Cardinals, after… Improved to 7-4 With the win. The Niners have traded wins and losses each week since starting 3-0, and they will look to break that streak and stay in the NFC West division race with a win over Carolina here.

Carolina earned an overtime win over the rival Atlanta Falcons last week to improve to 6-5. After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lost on Sunday nightthe Panthers now have a chance to seize first place in the NFC South, which they can get with a win on Monday.

Which of these two teams will achieve consecutive victories? We’ll find out soon enough. But before we break down the match, here’s a look at how to watch the match.

Where to watch 49ers vs. Panthers

• date: Monday 14 November | time: 8:15 PM ET
• location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
• television: ESPN/ABC | flow: Fubo (Try for free)
• He follows: CBS Sports app
• probability: 49ers -7.5, O/U 49.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

When the Panthers have the ball

Carolina was coming off an unusual offensive game where it didn’t run the ball well but absolutely exploded in the passing game. The Panthers ran for just 67 yards last week against the Falcons, but Bryce Young went an incredible 31-of-45 for 448 yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the 49ers played a very similar game against Arizona’s offense to the one Carolina played against Atlanta’s defense: San Francisco held the Cardinals to just 36 yards (on 14 carries) but allowed 452 yards when Jacoby Brissett put NFL Register to complete in the game.

So, the question here is whether we are dealing with repeat performances at both ends of the pitch. It’s worth noting that the Falcons’ game alone accounted for 22.8% of Young’s passing yards on the season – and he played in 10 of the team’s 11 games. The Panthers want the run game to be the center of their offense, and they likely won’t rely on pass-heavy play unless forced to.

San Francisco’s defense is scrappy all over, with Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Mykel Williams and Ytor Gross-Matos all on injured reserve, and even guys like Tatum Bethune and Robert Bell Jr. either questionable (Bell) or out (Bethune). Even Luke Gifford, who could be asked to replace Bethune at fullback, has been listed as questionable. They will rely on guys like Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu and Clelin Ferrell on the edge alongside Bryce Huff.

The Niners were a little better against the run (22nd in success rate) than they were against the pass (26th), but they weren’t particularly good against either. Obviously, a lot of that is due to their various injuries. But these guys are not coming back to this game. The Panthers should be able to find some success running the ball downhill with Rico Dowdle, taking the pressure off of Young to run the offense.

If Young steps back, it would be a surprise if Demodore Lenoir follows Titairoa McMillan all over the field. Lenoir lined up at left back on all 624 snaps he played on the perimeter, according to Pro Football Focus, so the Panthers could create a better matchup by having T-Mac lined up opposite Renardo Green if they wanted to. Green is no slouch, but Lenoir is the team’s best corner. Young’s other weapons aren’t much to write home about.

When the 49ers have the ball

Brock Purdy returned last week to San Francisco and immediately showed why there is no debate over who will be the team’s starting quarterback, even though Mac Jones has had some success at quarterback in his place.

Purdy went 19 of 26 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, distributing the ball beautifully all over the field and spreading it around the likes of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Juwan Jennings. McCaffrey even had one of his most successful games of the season on the ground, rushing 13 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and you can see how much open space he had to run with the greater threat of the passing attack down the field available to San Francisco.

The Niners are still building the Jets around plenty of touches for CMC, who is averaging 24.3 rushes plus receptions per game so far this year. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on Carolina’s linebackers and safeties to handle in space, and frankly, there aren’t a lot of players in those positions equipped to do that — especially when players in those same positions also have to worry about getting hit by Kittle up the middle or over the sideline.

It wouldn’t help if Carolina was without both Trevin Wallace and Christian Roseboom, depriving the Panthers of both of their key players. Guys like Claudin Cherelus, Maema Njongmeta and perhaps Bam Martin-Scott will have to play bigger roles, while there will be more pressure on the likes of Trevon Moehrig Nick Scott and potential slot corner Corey Thornton to deal with those two as well.

It will be interesting to see if the Panthers use Jaycee Horn to shadow a receiver, and if so, whether it’s Jennings or Ricky Pearsall, who looked like a top perimeter option earlier in the year before getting injured and missing an extended period. The Niners don’t have a true No. 1 wideout, so there’s not necessarily an obvious guy for Horn to follow. If he does travel, I’d bet it will be with Jennings, who lines up at the line of scrimmage more than Pearsall, who moves around a lot.

The Panthers’ best bet here is to supplement the run game and turn the 49ers into a one-dimensional passing attack and then generate significant pressure on Purdy. That’s obviously easier said than done, and even if you can do it, you still have to worry about all the different weapons the Niners can throw at you through the air.

prediction

The Niners looked great with Brock Purdy back on the field last week, and that was against a better defense than they will face on Monday night. I know the Panthers finally figured out a way to throw the ball all over the yard themselves last week, but that’s still an aberration when it comes to their performance over the course of the season. If San Francisco can get hold of Rico Dowdle, I think the Niners should take a step back.

Prediction: 49ers 27, Panthers 16