The 11-2 New Orleans (+215 to win Super Bowl 53) recaptured their form in Week 14 after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a previous game. They will look to build momentum this weekend, when they go up against the struggling 6-7 Carolina Panthers (+25,000 to win Super Bowl 53), who still have a real chance of sneaking into the playoffs. Going into the Sunday matchup the sportsbook likes the visiting Saints by a touchdown.
After a shaky first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week in which they were outscored 14-3, the Saints put a stop to their charade and showed why they are a true Super Bowl contender by dropping 25 unanswered points in the final two quarters of a 28-14 road win over Jameis Winston and company. The Saints are finally back. Drew Brees passed for only 201 yards and a touchdown with an interception on 24-of-31 completions against the Bucs, and he will look to put up better numbers against Carolina, which just got humbled by Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield last Sunday. Brees should be able to have his way against a demoralized Panthers squad that is allowing 25.5 points and 254.8 passing yards per game. Conversely, the Saints are second in the NFL with 34.4 points per contest.
The Saints are 6-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last seven road games.
Betting on the Carolina Panthers (6-7)
The Panthers have lost their mojo as a result of a five-game losing skid. That stretch includes their 26-20 road loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have been better this season, but Carolina still should not have lost to a team like Cleveland. The Panthers’ defense has struggled over the team’s winless streak. Against Cleveland, they allowed 238 passing yards to Mayfield and 116 rushing yards and two touchdown to the Browns’ ground attack. There should be an increased focus on applying fixes on the defense for the Panthers heading into a showdown with New Orleans and its high-octane offense. On the other side of the field, Cam Newton will look to continue the nice chemistry he’s having of late with wide receiver Curtis Samuel and tight end Ian Thomas. Samuel had 80 receiving yards on four catches against Cleveland while Thomas, now a starter following Greg Olsen’s designation to the injured reserve, had 77 receiving yards on nine catches and a game-high 11 targets.
The Panthers are 9-1 straight up (SU) and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.
