Keep an eye on Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey this coming Sunday, as he is on the verge of accomplishing a rare feat in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, need a win in Week 17 if they are to keep their hopes of winning the no. 1 seed in the NFC alive.
Few teams could win a high-scoring game against the Saints, who have one of the most complete arsenals of offensive weapons in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans learned that in Week 16, as the Saints defeated them on the road, 38-28. Drew Brees had 279 passing yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions on 27-of-38 completions, while Alvin Kamara rushed for 80 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Michael Thomas recorded a game-high 136 receiving yards on 12 receptions and 17 targets. Thomas has been nearly automatic downfield. Over the Saints’ last five games, Thomas has registered at least 100 receiving yards four times and caught four touchdowns total in that span. That stretch includes the Saints’ 34-31 home win over the Panthers in Week 12 in which Thomas had a line of 10-101-1. Tight end Jared Cook also had 99 receiving yards in that game to go with a touchdown. With Thomas and Cook playing so well, opposing defenses can’t just converge on the Saints’ running backs, which helps Kamara and Latavius Murray to make plays. The two had 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the win over Carolina.
The Saints are 7-3 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games.
Betting on the Carolina Panthers (5-10)
The Panthers’ decision to test rookie quarterback Will Grier over Kyle Allen backfired in Week 16, as the former West Virginia Mountaineers gunslinger did not fare much better, going 27 for 44 for 224 passing yards and zero touchdowns against three interceptions in a 38-6 road loss to the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was the only life in Carolina’s party, leading the team on the ground with 54 rushing yards on 13 carries and through the air with 119 receiving yards on a perfect 15-of-15 reception-to-target performance. The Panthers will give the start again to Grier in the final week of the regular season, though, that likely means that McCaffrey will continue to get a lion’s share of the touches. After all, McCaffrey is 67 receiving yards away from joining the 1,000/1,000 club. McCaffrey had 64 rushing yards and a touchdown to go with 69 receiving yards and a touchdown in the previous matchup against the Saints.
The over is 4-1 in the Panthers’ last five games overall.
