The Carolina Panthers (3-8-1) will head to take on the New Orleans Saints (5-7) looking to put an end to their six-game losing streak. This game will feature the NFL’s second-leading passer, Drew Brees (3,748 yards, 27 TDs). A bad season has only gotten worse for New Orleans, as they have lost three of their last four. The game will begin Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.
The last meeting between the Saints and Panthers came in Week 9 when Carolina lost to New Orleans 28-10. Jimmy Graham had a standout performance in that game, registering seven receptions for 83 yards and one TD. Mark Ingram had a big game as well, totaling 100 yards and two TDs on 30 carries. Dwan Edwards led the way for the Carolina defense, recording two tackles, one sack, and one interception.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 48 points and the Panthers are a huge nine-point underdog. The Saints enter the game with records of 5-7 both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In their five most recent matchups, the Saints went 2-3 both SU and ATS. They average 26.9 points per game and will look to expose the weak Carolina defense. The Panthers are one of the worst-scoring defenses in the NFL, giving up 27.6 points per game. A focal point of New Orleans’s offense is the passing game, where they rank third in the league with 303.9 passing yards per game. The Saints are the best in the league at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 9.8 points.
As for their opponent, the Panthers have a record of 6-6 ATS and 3-8-1 SU. Over their last five games, the Panthers have a SU record of 0-5 and a 2-3 record ATS for those betting with them. Hopefully New Orleans’s D-line and linebackers ate their spinach this week. They will be going up against the near-unstoppable Panthers running game, which has averaged 121.8 yards per game over their last five, quite a bit more than their season average of 103.2. Lately, the Panthers discovered the secret to a better run defense. They’re allowing only 87.8 rushing YPG over their last five matchups. The Panthers make it hard on their opponents down the stretch, averaging 8.8 points in the final quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – NO, ATS Winner – NO, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Carolina’s last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans’s last 9 games.
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
New Orleans is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home.
Carolina is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina’s last 5 games on the road.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games at home.
Carolina is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games, on the road.
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New Orleans’s last 20 games when playing Carolina.
Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road.
New Orleans is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Carolina.
Carolina is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing New Orleans.
New Orleans is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Carolina.
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Carolina’s last 20 games when playing New Orleans.
New Orleans is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Carolina.
Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans.
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina.
Carolina is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against New Orleans.
New Orleans is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Carolina.
Carolina is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. New Orleans is 4-3 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Carolina is 2-0-1 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. New Orleans is 4-1 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
This season, Carolina is 3-0-1 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and winless (0-6 SU) in games where it loses the turnover battle.
This season, New Orleans is only 1-5 SU in games where it loses the turnover battle.
Dating back to last year, New Orleans is 7-2 SU against NFC South opponents, while Carolina is 6-3 SU against division foes.
The New Orleans passing attack is ranked third in the league, while the Carolina pass defense is only ranked 17th. The Panthers’ passing game is ranked 19th, compared to the 28th-ranked pass defense of the Saints.
The New Orleans offensive ground attack is ranked eighth in the league, while the Carolina rush defense is only ranked 19th. The Panthers’ rushing game is ranked 21st, compared to the 23rd-ranked run defense of the Saints.
Carolina has allowed 27.6 points per game this year, which is ranked only 29th in the league. New Orleans has put up 26.9 points per game this year and is ranked seventh overall.
