New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers Preview

Saints Look to Stymie Panthers Offense as Rivals Clash

Divisional rivals New Orleans and Carolina face off in Week 7 for their first meeting of the season. The Saints (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS) are coming off their bye week while the Panthers (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) head into the week coming off a home loss to the Chicago Bears. The Saints have dominated this matchup in recent memory, winning seven of the last nine meetings dating back to 2016.

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints
  • Date/Time: October 25, 1 p.m. ET
  • Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
  • TV Coverage: Fox
  • Sportsbook Odds: Saints -13 | O/U 52.5 (Line History)
  • Panthers vs Saints Matchup Report

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The game opened with the Saints as massive -13 favorites, but the line has fallen to between -7 and -7.5 depending on the book. The total opened at 52.5 and has fallen slightly to 51 or 51.5 depending where you place your bets.

Carolina News & Notes

Despite the loss of star running back Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers have hardly missed a beat with journeyman Mike Davis handling the load in the backfield. Davis has been especially valuable in the passing game (an area where McCaffrey excels), ranking 12th in the league with 32 receptions. In fact, the Carolina passing game as a whole has been impressive as wide receiver Robby Anderson leads the league in receiving yards.

The problem for the Panthers has been a rush defense that ranks 11th in total yards allowed and has surrendered nine touchdowns, second most in the league. The pass defense has been quite respectable considering how young and raw its defensive backs are. Look for the Saints to attack the soft middle of the defense.

New Orleans News & Notes

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees has had his struggles at times this season, but the wily veteran still ranks toward the top of the league in several key categories, including completion percentage (third), quarterback rating (10th) and QBR (eighth).

But given the matchup, it is unlikely the Saints and Brees will have to pass very much in Week 7. A touchdown-plus favorite at home, the Saints will likely be leading for a large portion of this game and turning to running backs Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray to expose a weak Panthers run defense.

The Saints defense has been stout against the run and pass this season in terms of yardage but has allowed 15 passing touchdowns, the second most in the league.

Betting Pick: UNDER 51

The Bears showed last week that the Panthers offense can be slowed to a halt. The Saints defense is arguably as good as Chicago’s and New Orleans is coming off a bye week. Although we think the Saints could score plenty, it seems unlikely the Panthers score a ton of points.

Shark Bites
  • The Saints are 23-7 SU in their last 30 games at home.
  • The Panthers are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games.
  • The Saints are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games at home.
NO is 23-7 SU in its last 30 home games.home CAR is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games.away NO is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 home games.home
Back to Top