Panthers vs Saints Week 18 Preview
NFC South Divisional Matchup
Point Spread: Panthers +3.5 | Total Points: 41.5
Leading into their week 18 NFC South matchup against New Orleans, the Panthers have an overall record of 6-10. Heading into week 18, the Carolina Panthers are looking to bounce back from a divisional loss to the Buccaneers by a score of 30-24. Not only did Carolina lose the game, but they also failed to cover the spread. Going into the game, the team was 3.5-point underdogs with an over-under line of 40 points, which the teams surpassed.
Heading into this week’s matchup against Carolina, the Saints have won 3 straight games and have a current record of 7-9. New Orleans is looking to tack on another victory, as they defeated Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 20-10 in week 17. In terms of betting, New Orleans picked up an ATS win, as they were the 4.5-point underdogs. Together, the two teams combined score remained below the over-under betting line of 42.
Panthers vs Saints History
The last time these two teams played came back in week 3, where the Panthers picked up a 22-14 win over the Saints. Not only did the Panthers win straight up, but they also covered the spread as 2.0-point underdogs. The two team’s offense’s combined to score 36 points. This figure was below the over-under betting line of 41.0.
In the last 3 head-to-head matchups, the Panthers are averaging 19 points per game, compared to the Saints at 13. These figures have led to Carolina posting a record of 2-1. The last 3 times that the Saints have hosted Carolina, they have a record of 1-2. In terms of betting, Carolina holds a recent edge vs the spread, going 3-2 in the previous 5 meetings. These games have finished with an average point total of 36, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.
Notable Injuries
Carolina Panthers
- Chandler Wooten (Ankle) Questionable
- Matt Ioannidis (Back) Questionable
- Joel Iyiegbuniwe (Hamstring) Questionable
- Ian Thomas (Non Injury Related (personal)) Questionable
- Stephen Sullivan (Elbow) Questionable
New Orleans Saints
- James Hurst (Foot) Questionable
- Andrus Peat (Ankle) Questionable
- Marcus Maye (Shoulder) Questionable
- Justin Evans (Shoulder) Questionable
- Ryan Ramczyk (Hip) Questionable
- Taysom Hill (Back) Questionable
- Ty Summers (Oblique) Questionable
- Chase Hansen (Knee) Questionable
- Juwan Johnson (Quadriceps) Questionable
Keys To Victory: Carolina Panthers
As the Panthers prepare for this week’s game, they will look to move up the league’s offensive scoring rankings, as they are currently near the league average at 21.1 points per game. Despite the team scoring at a rate similar to the league average, their lackluster defensive play has led to an average scoring differential of -1.9 points per game. Against New Orleans, look for the Panthers’ offense to have a tough time moving the ball through the air. So far, the team’s passing offense is averaging just 185.3 yards per game through the pass. Leading the way for Carolina is quarterback Sam Darnold, who comes into the game with a total of 1100 passing yards. So far, Darnold has one of the better passer ratings in the league (105.42) and will need to continue playing well vs a tough pass defense. Going into the game, the team’s leader in receiving yards is DJ Moore, who has caught 54.4% of the balls thrown his way for a total of 878 yards.
On the ground, the Panthers should be able to put in yet another strong performance, as they are currently the 12th ranked team in rush yards per game and face off vs a defense that is vulnerable up front. So far, the team’s leading rusher is D’Onta Foreman, who is averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Through 16 games, he has rushed for a total of 846 yards on the ground.
Keys To Victory: New Orleans Saints
As the Saints prepare to take on the Panthers, they be looking to build on their success in the passing game. Andy Dalton has the team ranked 16th in passing yards per game and is ranked 20th among quarterbacks in yards through the air. As a team, they are averaging just 30.4 attempts per game. Heading into the game, the team’s top receiver Chris Olave is matched up against the league’s 12th-ranked secondary. For the year, he has been targeted 107 times for 982 yards.
Running back Alvin Kamara is expected to receive a majority of the carries and is averaging 56.5 yards per game on the ground. However, he heads a New Orleans rushing attack ranked just 19th in rushing yards per contest. Yet, they have finished just 7 games with more rush yards than their opponent.
Betting Trends
- Carolina is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games on the road.
- Carolina is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
- Carolina is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog.
- Carolina is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games as the favorite.
Prediction
The total in this game seems low. 41.5 points for two teams that are playing for jobs in 2023 should probably be higher. We like the Saints at home against to cover in this game.
