One of the best matchups on the Week 13 NFL slate features a huge divisional matchup between the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints that could go a long way in deciding which team garners the NFC South banner when all is said and done in the regular season.
Sportsbook opened the Panthers as 4-point road underdogs with a total of 48.
- The favored team is 18-6 SU in the last 24 games in this matchup.
- The Panthers are 17-4 SU in their last 21 games in December.
- The total has gone OVER in the Saints’ last four games after a loss.
Due to the importance of the game, the NFL has flexed the start time back to a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff instead of its initial 1 p.m. start time.
The Saints have four divisional games remaining over the final five weeks of the campaign while Carolina has played each divisional opponent once. The Panthers suffered a huge 34-13 loss to the Saints back in Week 3 but look like a different squad right now thanks to wins in each of their last four games, with triumphs over Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Miami and the New York Jets in that span.
Of course, the Saints are no slouch either, having reeled off an eight-game winning streak before falling 26-20 to the Rams in Week 12. On the heels of three straight 7-9 SU campaigns, the Saints are officially back and have fans in the Bayou State dreaming of another appearance in the Super Bowl.
The dominant rushing attack led by veteran Mark Ingram and rookie sensation Alvin Kamara has been the difference-maker, as the Saints rank third in the NFL in yards per game on the ground at 142.1. Sportsbooks have underestimated New Orleans in 2017 and the Saints have proven them wrong to the tune of a solid 7-4 ATS record.
When the Panthers and Saints get together, high-scoring affairs tend to follow. In the previous six meetings between the NFC South rivals, the OVER is 5-1.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Sportsbooks, including Sportsbook, had set the New Orleans Saints as 4-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest. The total was hovering around 47.5 earlier in the week (check for the current OVER/UNDER lines at Sportsbook).
OddsShark computer NFL score prediction models picked a possible 30-14 win for the Saints on Sunday. That score may change during the week, if injury or weather factors alter the numbers, so check the NFL picks page before game time. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.
Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
This season the New Orleans Saints are 8-3 overall and 6-5 against the spread, while the Panthers are 8-3 and 7-3-1 ATS. As for the totals, New Orleans is 6-5 on the OU, and Carolina is 6-5. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and New Orleans vs Carolina injuries news.
The game pits the Saints, currently No. 1 in our OddsShark NFL Power Rankings, against the Panthers, who rate No. 13 in the latest survey.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits New Orleans' No. 4-ranked offense, averaging 29.27 PPG, against a Panthers defense that ranks No. 8 this week at 18.82 PPG. The Saints aerial game is averaging 267.27 yards per game, more than the Panthers secondary allows through the air, 205.09 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Panthers own the league's No. 1-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 73.83 yards per game when on the road. New Orleans, on the other hand, rates No. 5 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last gridiron battle, Devin Funchess did much of the damage, producing 108 receiving yards as Carolina beat the Jets 35-27 at MetLife Stadium.
New Orleans lost its last outing 26-20 against Los Angeles on Sunday, getting a 101-yard receiving performance from Alvin Kamara in a losing cause at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
- Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 9 games
- Carolina is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
- New Orleans is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
- New Orleans is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans' last 6 games
- New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Carolina home to Minnesota, Sunday, December 10
New Orleans at Atlanta, Thursday, December 7
