The NFC playoffs will run through the Big Easy, and that’s good news for the New Orleans Saints, who broke out of an offensive slumber to deliver a crippling blow to the playoff hopes of the Steelers. The Saints scored a total of 50 points in their previous three road games, but returned to the Superdome to drop 31 on Pittsburgh, wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the conference in the process. The question now is what kind of effort will the Saints put forth in their Week 17 matchup with the Carolina Panthers?
Watch this Week 17 regular season matchup live on Sunday, December 23, 2018, at 4:25 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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Carolina Panthers OFF
New Orleans Saints OFF
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The Panthers have tried their damndest to break a losing streak that reached seven games with a loss to the Falcons last week. Their star quarterback has been shut down and their once vaunted defense has shown cracks. Still, losing seven in a row seemed unfathomable after the club started 6-2. We don’t know what’s going to happen on Sunday, but you can bet Ron Rivera will pull out all the stops since he could be coaching for a job.
The task might be a little easier with the Saints likely to rest some regulars now that the No. 1 seed in the conference is secure. Sean Payton hasn’t revealed his plans for the regular season finale, and as a result we have yet to see a line hit the board.
With Cam Newton shelved for the rest of the year with a shoulder ailment, the Panthers turned to Taylor Heinicke last week. Making his first career start, Heinicke directed a 73-yard touchdown drive on Carolina’s first possession, capped with a short scoring pass. Things went downhill after that, however. Heinicke finished the day 33 of 53 for 274 yards, but he threw three interceptions and the Panthers turned the ball over four times.
Heinicke left the game briefly in the second quarter with an arm injury, but returned and was constantly battered by the Falcons. One thing Heinicke did well was get the ball in the hands of Christian McCaffrey. Carolina’s most dynamic player did his part by totaling 178 scrimmage yards, adding to his season total. McCaffrey rushed for 101 yards on 21 carries to eclipse 1,000 for the year. He also caught 12 passes for 77 yards and will once again get a significant number of touches, making him a player to watch closely on the live betting lines at BookMaker.eu.
Making Payton’s decision to rest some guys a little easier is that the Saints rediscovered their offense against the Steelers. New Orleans had a hard time in its previous three games scoring a total of 50 points with only nine of those coming in the first half. Drew Brees failed to throw for more than 203 yards in any of those games.
Getting back on the fast track of the Superdome, the Saints were back to what we expect. Brees threw for 326 yards on 27 of 39 passing with 11 of those completions in the direction of Michael Thomas, who totaled 109 yards and a touchdown. We probably won’t see much of Brees, but we should get plenty of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram against the Panthers.
The pair combined for just 58 yards on 18 carries against the Steelers, but they did get into the end zone three times. I see Payton taking a conservative approach to this one, especially if Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill get a majority of the snaps at QB. And that means more carries for the backs, taking them over the combined rushing yard total on the live betting lines at BookMaker.eu.
And if Brees is on the sideline for a majority of this game, it’s hard to imagine the Saints reaching their point total. They are averaging 37 points per game at home, but I don’t see them coming close to that number if Brees isn’t in the game.
Panthers at Saints Live Betting
While the Saints could easily treat this game like a preseason tune up, the Panthers will do no such thing. Entering the offseason with an 8-game losing streak isn’t going to sit well with the staff or players, and the new ownership would be itching to make changes. That’s why I expect the Panthers to go balls out, and facing a team that will no doubt have a letdown after securing the top-seed in the NFC, they should have a fast start. Look for McCaffrey to amass yards and score a touchdown early on the live betting lines at BookMaker.eu.
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