posted June 9, 2008 at 17:57 EST in NFL Betting Trends

BetUS NFL betting odds: San Diego -10

NOTABLE STAT: San Diego had an average +8 point differential in 2007

KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Carolina is 20-7-1 ATS as a road dog in the last five seasons.

(For more useful stats and trends, visit our special Matchup Tool)

The Carolina Panthers (7-9 SU, 8-8 ATS in 2007) try to shake the cobwebs from a very painful experience last season as they travel to southern California to take on the San Diego Chargers (11-5 SU & ATS in 2007 regular season), who were just one step from a Super Bowl appearance, in the NFL season opener, scheduled for Sunday, September 7 at 4:15 PM ET at Qualcomm Stadium (natural turf).

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* CARO has lost seven of its last ten games SU

* CARO has covered four of its last five games

* CARO has covered seven of its last ten road games

* CARO is 20-7-1 ATS in last 28 games as a road underdog

* SD has won eight of its last nine games SU

* SD has covered its last nine games

* SD has covered eight of its last nine home games

* SD has won 16 of its last 18 home games SU

* CARO has won and covered two of the last three meetings

San Diego has a few things going for it, depending on how you look at it: (a) they are relatively intact from last season, losing backup running back Michael Turner but adding Jacob Hester, a useful player, in the draft; (b) they have been positively sadistic at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers lost one game at home last year, to the Kansas City Chiefs, which marked the true nadir of the season, but in winning every other home game, only the Indianapolis Colts got to within double digits against them; and (c) they covered numbers down the stretch. In fact, San Diego covered its last nine games, highlighted by all three playoff games they participated in, including a second win over the Colts.

But without a lot of downfield threats, Phillip Rivers, who is coming off surgery on his knee, may not be able to pull away against a team that will do everything it can to exercise some ball control.

When we look at the Panthers, we assume Jake Delhomme is coming into the season opener as the starting quarterback and that he is going to be healthy. If so, Carolina has the ability to strike an effective balance on offense, since it is added the likes of D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad on the outside, taking at least some pressure off Steve Smith, who can beat either of San Diego's corners - Antonio Cromartie or Quentin Jammer. San Diego is loaded with talent on defense but a lot of their focus is on pursuit. What the Panthers may be able to do with efficiency is run between the tackles on them, and rookie running back Jonathan Stewart becomes a key component of that.

It is hard to gauge the Panthers on what they did last year, since Delhomme's injury set off a chain reaction which essentially buried this team behind anemic production at the quarterback position. But John Fox's troops have in the recent past shown a lot of puissance as a visitor, covering 20 of 28 as a road underdog. Even with some player losses on defense, including Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker and Dan Morgan, the kind of mental toughness that has been a trademark of this team could well return.

We'll take the points with Carolina, the ten-point underdog in the BetUS NFL football betting odds, on Opening Day. But of course, we reserve the right to change that (depending on the circumstances) as the season approaches.

JAY'S PLAY: CAROLINA (+10) **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

The 2008 NFL betting season is around the corner! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The BetUS sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join BetUS today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!

(Charles Jay of eBookies.com is a member of the NFL too - that is, "not for long" if you don't get results. He is now a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)