Saints vs. Panthers Prediction & Odds
NFC South rivals face off in Charlotte, NC on Sunday afternoon when Week 3’s Sunday slate kicks off at 1 PM ET.
One of these teams will get their first win against the spread on Sunday, will it be the home underdog Panthers or the road favorite Saints?
The Saints opened their season with a one-point road win over their division rival the Atlanta Falcons. They then got outplayed by the Tampa Buccaneers in week 2 and lost 20-10 in a game that wasn’t even that close. Saints QB Jameis Winston threw 3 picks in that contest, one of which was a game-sealing pick-six.
Head coach Matt Rhule and the Carolina Panthers desperately need a victory. They’ve been close in their first two contests, dropping both by a combined 5 points. The addition of Baker Mayfield at quarterback was supposed to reverse some of the close-game bad luck they had last year, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
467 New Orleans Saints -2.5 at 468 Cleveland Browns +2.5; o/u 41
1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 25, 2022
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Saints vs. Panthers Public Betting Information
Our NFL Public Betting Information page indicates that the public is leaning toward the Panthers in this game. According to our numbers, 62% of public bets are on Carolina +2.5. Please note that this information is subject to change all the way up to kickoff, so make sure to check the link before you pick so you’re receiving the most accurate and up-to-date public betting data.
New Orleans Saints DFS Spin
It’s worth noting that Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is on the injury report with back and ankle injuries. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and is questionable for Sunday’s clash with the Panthers. If he doesn’t play, it would be hard to recommend any skill players on the Saints against a desperate Carolina defense. If he does I’d take a look at wide receivers Jarvis Landry or Chris Olave, depending on the price. Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is the only player on the team to catch a touchdown pass this year but I think that changes on Sunday. For a deep sleeper consider Saints utility player Taysom Hill, who’s listed as a tight end but is leading the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns so far.
Carolina Panthers DFS Spin
Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey might be one of the best in the league at his position. But he’s injury prone. To wit, McCaffrey sat out Wednesday’s practice for rest purposes and was limited in practice on Thursday. He’ll have the dreaded “questionable” tag heading into Sunday’s game. If McCaffrey sits, running backs D’Onta Foreman or Chuba Hubbard could be nice value plays out of the backfield. If McCaffrey does play, it will be hard to know how healthy he is and for the price, he might not be worth it.
Baker Mayfield’s top targets are Robbie Anderson and D.J. Moore, and they’re both averaging north of 14 yards per catch on the year. They might be worth a look. Panthers tight end Ian Thomas is averaging 22 yards per catch and may have sleeper value. If you need a kicker, consider Carolina’s Eddy Pineiro. He has 4 field goals and 4 extra points already through two games and has yet to miss a kick.
Saints vs. Panthers Betting Trends
New Orleans is 22-13 straight up in the regular season since the beginning of 2020.
Carolina is 10-25 straight up in the regular season since the beginning of 2020.
59% of the handle is on the Saints -2.5.
New Orleans is 9-10 ATS dating back to the beginning of last year.
Carolina is 5-14 ATS dating back to the beginning of last season.
The Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games in week 3.
The under is 5-0 in the Saints’ last 5 games following an ATS loss.
The under is 4-1 in the Saints’ last 5 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game.
Saints vs. Panthers Prediction:
The Panthers were seemingly snake-bitten last year. In games decided by 8 points or less, they went 2-6. It should be noted that although Carolina went 5-12 last year, they did beat the Saints in week 2 at home 26-7. In the Panthers’ two losses this season, they lost by scores of 27-26 to the Browns and 19-16 to the Giants. I think they’re close. I think the under of 41 is in play here, and I see Jameis Winston making several costly mistakes. The Carolina money line is attractive to me at +125, but I’ll take the points as the pick.
NFL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: CAROLINA PANTHERS +2.5
