The NFC South is one of the best divisions in the NFL, and the teams tied atop it are the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. Those two teams will meet in a critical regular season clash in Week 13. Both teams have been fantastic this season, entering with identical 8-3 records.
The location is critical as New Orleans always plays really well at home. The Saints’ eight-game winning streak ended last week in a road loss to the Rams but the team will aim to bounce right back. Both of these teams fancy themselves legitimate NFC contenders and this will be a great matchup to see which side can get atop the division as the season winds down.
The Atlanta Falcons are lurking one game back so this will be a big game but there are still bound to be other twists and turns down the stretch.
This contest in Week 13 of the regular season will go down Sunday, December 3, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Carolina Panthers +4.5
New Orleans Saints -4.5
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
The Saints are favored, and the line has moved up a half-point in recent days as New Orleans is getting more than 76 percent of the action. The scoring total is lower than most Saints games have been in the Drew Brees era because both of these defenses are in the upper tier of the league.
The “over” is the more popular choice, with more than 85 percent of the action believing there will be more points than the oddsmakers have pegged.
Injury Report
Greg Olsen — The Panthers tight end returned from a broken foot last week but aggravated the injury. However, the injury isn’t as serious as first feared and he could return in this game. Carolina could use him as Olsen has proven to be one of the NFL’s best tight ends in the NFL over the past few seasons and the Panthers don’t have a bunch of elite weapons on offense.
Marshon Lattimore - The Saints’ rookie cornerback has been a revelation this season, but he is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out last week in a loss to the Rams. New Orleans’ defense has improved greatly this season and Lattimore has been a big reason why. The Saints would love to get him back for this critical divisional matchup.
Devin Funchess- The Carolina wide receiver was busy in Week 12 against the Jets, catching seven passes for 108 yards on 12 targets. He is dealing with a toe injury but it doesn’t seem like it will keep him on the sideline for this matchup.
Terron Armstead- The New Orleans offensive tackle left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. He didn’t return to the game, and there is no early word on the severity of the injury. New Orleans has done a good job protecting Drew Brees this season and Armstead has been a key to that.
Key Stat
417.5. That’s how many total yards per game the New Orleans Saints are averaging this season. The team is ranked No. 2 in the NFL with 267.3 passing yards a game and No. 3 in the league in rushing yards with 142.1 per game.
Mark Ingram leads the team in rushing with 837 yards and eight touchdowns this season and
Alvin Kamara has more than 1,000 yards on the ground and in the air this season. Brees has a quarterback rating of 104.1 and has thrown for 3,029 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Receivers Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. are Brees’ top targets and have combined for 1,446 receiving yards this year. This deep and dynamic offense presents a big challenge to the Panthers this who rank among the best in the NFL in defense, particularly against the run.
Free ATS Pick
The Panthers have always been an inconsistent team, so it’s hard to know how this one will go. Carolina has the talent to march into New Orleans and come away with the upset win, especially if the defense steps up.
However, the Saints have been the better team this season, and the home field is a big-time advantage. New Orleans is the choice to both win this game and cover the spread.
NFL Odds: Saints 30, Panthers 24
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