Wild wager should give Panthers even more motivation to upset the Eagles this week

Like it or not, sports betting is a huge part of modern NFL fandom, and it's not going anywhere. The Carolina Panthers have managed to beat the spread in four straight games, but this week they're getting a challenge on a whole other level when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles. When the line opened earlier this week they were 12-point underdogs. With about 28 hours to go before kickoff that gap has grown to 13.5, according to the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Professional athletes shouldn't need motivation from outside sources going into any game, but if the Panthers want it they certainly have one. On Friday ESPN reported an absolutely wild wager against Carolina. from one bettor in Kentucky. Apparently this person has bet a total of $3.1 million on the Eagles' moneyline, which was -700 at the time. In case you're wondering, if Philly wins then the bettor will take home around $442,800.

Somebody has to teach modern bettors about pot odds, but that's a story for another day. The bet was so big that it prompted the sportsbook (Circa Sports) to shift the moneyline - the Eagles are now at -870.

What they're banking on is Carolina's inability to stop the run going against the best rushing team in the NFL this year. The Eagles are putting up 188.9 rushing yards per game, while the Panthers are allowing a league-worst 166.8 yards on the ground.

While it's a good bet that Saquon Barkley is going to go off, putting over $3 million on a game you have no control for such a small return is a bit nuts. There are a lot of other dynamics that might not go in Philly's favor - including Bryce Young's ongoing hotstreak and some marginal improvements from the Panthers' defense recently - especially their pass rush. An upset is pretty unlikely, but given how they have played lately Carolina might give this bettor a real scare.

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