The New Orleans Saints have a wide gap between themselves atop the NFC South and the rest of the teams in the division. The Panthers will look to trim that lead down this coming Sunday, when they pay Drew Brees and company a visit. The Panthers and the Saints are +7500 and +225 to win the NFC title, respectively.
The Panthers got toyed in Week 11 by the Atlanta Falcons, as they absorbed a 29-3 loss at home — their second in a row and third in four games. Kyle Allen was a mess, as he threw four interceptions and completed just 31 of 50 passes for 270 yards. He also got sacked five times for a loss of 55 yards. Allen has been a turnover machine, and though, lots of blame can be pinned on the Panthers’ offensive line, he still could have put up a better effort by being more accurate with his passes. The Panthers will go as far as where Christian McCaffrey will go. Even if the Saints’ defense’ will definitely put a target on CMC’s back, the Panthers will and should continue to give the running back the ball. McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the NFL today. He and the Panthers’ defense will be key to victory in Week 12. The Panthers are still tied for most sacks this season with 39.
The Panthers are 4-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last six games.
Betting on the New Orleans Saints (8-2)
After taking a stumble in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, the Saints got back up and defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road last Sunday, 34-17. Even though the Saints did not have cornerback Marshon Lattimore, their defense didn’t have much problem containing Jameis Winston, who threw four interceptions. Considering Allen has seemingly developed a penchant for giving away the ball to opponents, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Saints come away with multiple picks in this game again — with or without Lattimore. The Saints are 12th in the league with just 19.9 points allowed per game and sixth with only 318.3 total yards surrendered per contest. McCaffrey is likely not going to produce his usual numbers on the ground, too, as New Orleans is limiting opponents down to only 85.3 rushing yards per contest.
The Saints are 3-1 ATS in their last four games at home.
