Sports betting people like to get behind a winner, and for years the Panthers were a winning team. Head coach John Fox always looked like he had the team just on the verge of going back to the Super Bowl. In the one Super Bowl the Panthers played in, they came so very close to beating the New England Patriots, but were done in by a fourth quarter field goal.

Now the Panthers are struggling to gain back respectability, and their first move was to let struggling quarterback Jake Delhomme go. It is hard to lay the blame on one player, but Delhomme’s decision-making and passing were so bad that the Panthers had no choice. To replace Delhomme, the Panthers took quarterback Jimmy Clausen in the draft. Clausen had a lot to do with the NCAA football betting results in Notre Dame during his playing days. The question remains as to whether or not he can do the same in the pros.

The Jets are coming off a season where they were the toast of the NFL betting world. When the Jets were underdogs, they would win. Against the spread in 2009 the Jets were 9-7. This year head coach Rex Ryan hopes to take his team back to the AFC championship game and push all the way to the Super Bowl. The Jets have a good team this year, but they still lack that offensive power that they need to get to the next level.

On the Panthers depth chart Jimmy Clausen is listed as the back-up to starter Matt Moore. Moore will probably start the season, but if the Panthers get off to a slow start then look for Clausen to step in and take over. In theory, that would be a great thing to watch. But after his performance in the first preseason game last week, Clausen still needs some work.

Against the Ravens and their pressure defense, Clausen went 8 for 15 and threw the game’s only pick. He looked hesitant, almost scared in the pocket. He made bad decisions and threw poor passes. That is why he will probably play a lot more in this preseason. Clausen has the tools, but he is not comfortable in the pro game. That is to be expected from a first-year rookie, and the way to get over that is more play in the preseason.

The NFL football betting lines have the Jets as one point favorites in this game, and there is a good chance that this game will be that close. The Jets need to keep getting quarterback Mark Sanchez reps in a game situation, and they need to figure out who is going to start at linebacker when the season begins. It isn’t that the Jets do not have enough people to play linebacker, it is just the opposite. The Jets are loaded at linebacker and cutting someone while putting others on the second or third string will be difficult decisions.

Pick: New York Jets 14-10