The Carolina Panthers are the betting favorites to win Sunday’s Super Bowl.  They have won 17 out of their first 18 games and have been the NFL’s best team from the beginning of the season on.

Here are five reasons why they’ll win Super Bowl 50:

1. There’s no game plan for Cam Newton- Newton is the most unstoppable force in the NFL.  He can make every single throw from any arm angle, often while throwing off his back foot.  His arm strength is as good as any quarterback ever.  Then there’s his feet.  Newton can wreck a game plan by escaping the pocket and the threat of his running makes the Panthers zone read even better, opening up lanes for Jonathan Stewart.  Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula puts just enough quarterback runs into the game plan to keep opposing defenses on their heels.
2. Peyton Manning can’t beat them over the top- The weakest part of the Panthers defense is in the secondary, as they don’t have anyone even average outside of Josh Norman.  Unfortunately, Manning hasn’t shown an ability to beat anyone over the top all year long and despite the reports that he’s throwing great, he hasn’t played his best football in the biggest spots, and this is a huge spot with a diminishing skill set.  Carolina should press up on all the receivers and force Manning out of his comfort zone, as Seattle did two years ago.
3. Luke Kuechly is a better defensive player than anyone on the Broncos offense- Kuechly is a game changer at linebacker and his instincts are second to none.  He can read Peyton Manning and will take away most anything underneath and can get enough depth to cover the Broncos tight ends.
4. Mike Shula will use the Broncos aggressiveness against them- Denver has a great pair of pass rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, maybe the best tandem in football.  They are lightning fast off the snap and that’s normally a great thing.  With a quarterback that’s such a threat with his legs as Cam is, you can lose contain very quickly which will lead to huge plays.  Shula will mix in zone reads and runs which will slow Miller and Ware down, thus nullifying their greatest strength.
5. Jonathan Stewart is the best running back in this game, and will play well- Stewart has had a surprisingly good year and his talent has never been questioned, only his ability to stay on the field. Stewart is healthy and ready to go, and he’s been very explosive in the playoffs, mainly due to the threat of Cam Newton keeping the football.  That will continue on Sunday, and expect Stewart to get into triple figures rushing with at least one touchdown.