The Carolina Panthers (2-0) host the New Orleans Saints (0-2) at Bank of America Stadium this week in a clash between NFC South rivals. This game will feature the NFL’s fifth-leading passer, Drew Brees (610 yards, 2 TDs). It will begin Sunday, Sep 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.
This will be the first matchup of the season for the division rivals. They split a pair of games during the regular season last year. Kawann Short led the Panthers defense in the last game, registering four tackles and one sack. Josh Hill had a quality performance for New Orleans, totaling zero catch for zero yards.
The Panthers, a three-point favorite, will be looking to keep home-field advantage when New Orleans visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 45 points.
The Panthers have been a strong bet early this season with a 2-0 record Straight Up (SU) as well as Against The Spread (ATS). The Panthers run the ball frequently. They rush 34 times per game, which is the third-most in the NFL. Transitioning to the Carolina defense, there are a few things to consider when it is on the field. Carolina has a stout pass defense, allowing a league-low completion percentage of 50.0%. One of the keys to the game will be if the Saints can protect the ball against the ambitious defense of the Panthers, who rank fifth in the league with two turnovers per game. Mistakes and a lack of focus could be factors that benefit the Panthers in the game. The Saints are one of the most penalized teams in the league with 94 penalty yards per game.
Across the field, the Saints have started the season slow with records of 0-2 SU and ATS this season. The New Orleans’s offensive strategy is to throw often, averaging 43 passing attempts per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the New Orleans defense can dominate if they take advantage of some favorable matchups. The Saints may be able to overcome the Carolina passing attack, which ranks 31st in completion percentage with 52.9%.
Predictions: SU Winner – Car, ATS Winner – Car, O/U – Under
Notes
Carolina is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
Carolina is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Carolina’s last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Carolina’s last 7 games at home.
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Carolina is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Carolina’s last 21 games when playing New Orleans.
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Carolina’s last 12 games when playing at home against New Orleans.
Carolina is 2-0 SU when leading at the half this season.
When it comes to passing this year, New Orleans is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its sixth-ranked passing attack will face the eighth-ranked pass defense of Carolina, while its 18th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 31st-ranked passing game of the Panthers.
