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Carrie Stroup here with your spread on the Panthers vs. Saints game in which Carolina was coming in at -7. The total was set at 49.5.
The Panthers will be looking to stay perfect when they face the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday.
Carolina is the only undefeated team in the NFL entering Week 13 and the Panthers have not shown any signs of slowing down. They beat up on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, winning 33-14 in Dallas. Not only have the Panthers been winning, but they have also covered in four straight games. One thing worth watching with them is the fact that they have gone Over the total in four of their past five games.
New Orleans has lost three straight games and the team has allowed 38.5 PPG over the past four contests. The Saints are just 2-3 SU against the Panthers over the past five seasons, but they are 3-2 ATS. The teams met in Week 3 this season and Carolina came away with a 27-22 victory at home. And although New Orleans is pretty much out of the playoff race in the NFC, the team will surely be looking to spoil the Panthers’ perfect season on Sunday.
One trend in this game that seriously favors Carolina is the fact that the Panthers are 17-2 ATS after three consecutive games with a turnover margin of +1 or better since 1992. They are also 9-0 ATS after three consecutive games with a turnover margin of +2 or better in that time.
The Panthers have been dominant on both sides of the ball this season, averaging 30.2 PPG (3rd in NFL) and allowing just 18.6 PPG (3rd in NFL). That balance has allowed the team to cruise through the regular season and Cam Newton’s offense will now get a crack at a Saints defense that has been embarrassingly awful over the past few weeks. Newton has thrown for 2,466 yards with 20 TD and nine INT on the season. He has also added 427 yards and seven TD on the ground, making him a dual-threat that New Orleans will need to be prepared for.
When Newton attacks the Saints through the air, it’ll be Greg Olsen that he is looking at mostly. Olsen has been a force this season, hauling in 53 passes for 788 yards and six TD. He is a tough cover in the red zone and will work hard to get himself open over the middle of the field. As long as the Panthers are able to limit their turnovers, they should be able to defeat this struggling Saints team.
As for New Orleans, the only real shot they have of winning this game is to prevent the Panthers from running all over them. The Saints are allowing 30.8 PPG (32nd in NFL) and a lot of that has to do with their inability to stop the run. New Orleans is allowing 134.5 rushing yards per game (30th in NFL) and Carolina has a potent ground attack. If they can somehow keep the Panthers in check then Drew Brees is capable of guiding his team to a major upset.
Brees has thrown for 3,200 yards with 20 TD and 10 INT on the season and despite the Saints’ struggles this season, they have been explosive offensively at times. He will likely need to have a turnover-free game in order for New Orleans to win, but he has delivered noteworthy wins often in his brilliant career and will be looking to do it again on Sunday.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
