Kickoff: Sunday, 6:40 p.m. ET
Super Bowl 50 – Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA
Line: Carolina -5.5, Total: 45.0

Cam Newton will be looking to cap off a magical season by leading the Panthers to a win over Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

The Panthers embarrassed the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game, winning 49-15 as three-point home favorites. Carolina comes into the Super Bowl with three straight victories both SU and ATS. The team has been dominant on both sides of the ball, averaging 39.9 PPG and allowing just 16.3 PPG over the course of the winning streak. The Broncos, meanwhile, defeated the Patriots 20-18 as three-point home underdogs in the AFC Championship Game. Denver has now won four straight games coming into this contest, but the team covered in just one of those victories. The last time the Broncos faced the Panthers was Nov. 11, 2012, when Denver won 36-14 as a 3.5-point favorite in Carolina. There are plenty of trends that will need to be taken into consideration when looking into this game. Working in Carolina’s favor is the fact that the team is 11-2 ATS when playing on a grass field this season and 17-3 ATS after three consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better since 1992. Denver, meanwhile, is 17-4 ATS when playing with two weeks or more of rest since 1992 and 10-1 ATS in games played away from home on a grass field over the past three seasons. Another thing worth noting is that underdogs are 11-3 ATS in the past 14 Super Bowls. The Panthers will be dealing with a number of injuries in this game, as S Roman Harper (Eye), LB Thomas Davis (Arm) and DE Jared Allen (Foot) are listed as questionable for this one. All of the players are likely going to take the field, but they may be less effective than usual. For the Broncos, S Darian Stewart (Knee) and S T.J. Ward (Ankle) are listed as questionable for this one.

The Panthers have been dominant all season long and the team continued to roll with a 49-15 victory against the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. Carolina forced Arizona to turn the ball over seven times and the defense will be looking for more of the same against Denver in the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play, but he has an extremely weak arm at this point in his career. Luke Kuechly will be somebody that Manning will really need to keep an eye on, as the linebacker has had a pick-six in back-to-back games. The Panthers must also focus on stopping the run, though. Denver has leaned heavily on the rushing attack and Carolina’s fourth-ranked rushing defense will need to be ready to play in the biggest game of the year. Offensively, this Panthers team will attack Denver in a number of different ways. Cam Newton must come through with a big game against the Broncos and it’s hard to imagine him not finding success. Newton threw for 335 yards with two touchdowns and just one interception against the Cardinals last game. He also added 10 carries for 47 yards and two scores. The field opens up for all of the Panthers’ weapons when Newton is running the ball well and Carolina will definitely try to get him going on the ground in the first half of this game. Jonathan Stewart will also help wear down the defense with some punishing runs up the middle. Stewart has rushed for 189 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries in two postseason games. He is looking as explosive as ever and will be leaned on heavily in this one. Through the air, Newton will be targeting Greg Olsen and Ted Ginn Jr. often. Olsen has 12 catches for 190 yards and a score in the postseason and is Newton’s go-to option. He is capable of creating space for himself as well as any tight end in the league and Newton won’t hesitate to find him in this one. Ginn Jr., meanwhile, is a deep threat that Newton will be looking to take advantage of. He has blazing speed and will make the Broncos pay for any mistakes in coverage in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos had to go through Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship game and their defense played an unbelievable game to secure the win for Denver. The league’s top-ranked defense forced Tom Brady to throw two interceptions in the game and also sacked the legendary quarterback four times. Denver was dialing up blitzes left and right and will need to find a way to get pressure on Cam Newton in the Super Bowl. Newton is an explosive player in a number of different ways and the Broncos absolutely must contain him. Offensively, the Broncos could use a vintage performance from Peyton Manning. That is unlikely to happen, though, and the team would probably be equally as happy if Manning can just avoid turning the ball over in this one. He did just that against the Patriots last game, throwing for 176 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. Owen Daniels was a big factor in the victory over New England, catching both of the touchdowns in that game. Manning will likely be looking to him often in this game as well. Demaryius Thomas could help Denver win by performing at a high level in this one. Thomas has struggled in the postseason, catching just six passes for 52 yards. He is one of the best receivers in the league and must make a bigger impact in this one. The most important thing for the Broncos offense, however, is the running game. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman will need to make some plays in this game, as Manning no longer has the arm to defeat his opponents through the air. If they can take some pressure off of Manning and the passing game then the Broncos could pull off the upset in Super Bowl 50.