Simulation Picks
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
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Expert Picks
Over the last several years the Saints have underachieved drastically. But they've also been a team to rise to the occasion in must-win situations. On the road after two abysmal performances, this is a must-win. Carolina is 2-0 with both wins by six points or more, yet the Panthers haven’t been able to click on all cylinders. Expect that to occur again and the Saints to hang around.
I don't like backing the 2-0 team against a desperate 0-2 Saints squad, especially since games between these two teams tend to be close. But it comes down to this: the Panthers defense looks awesome, and it should be able to give Drew Brees trouble in Carolina, while the Saints defense is atrocious and likely won't be able to handle even a banged-up Cam Newton or a Ryan Kalil-less offensive line. The Saints will be missing both Terron Armstead and Zach Strief, which is bad news for Brees, and rookie CB Marshon Lattimore, who has been a rare bright spot on D, is also out with a concussion.
The Saints haven't won or covered a game yet this season, but they should be good to go at Carolina. They've covered four straight against the Panthers and they've bucked a road trend from their glory years. They've gone 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games. The last two seasons they've covered large numbers against the Panthers, and this is another one as the Carolina offense has been sluggish.
Laying less than a TD with Carolina is a bargain, as the Panthers are covering 57 percent of my simulations. I'm projecting a 10-point win. The Panthers' offense will wake up against a Saints' defense that looks hapless as usual.
This seems like a high total for these two teams right now. Carolina's offense suffered a big loss with Greg Olsen's injury, and the Saints could only muster 20 points at home against a New England defense that was routed by the Chiefs in Week 1. In the Brees era, the total has gone over 48 points just three times in 11 tries. Considering these two offenses aren't playing at their best right now (and that the Panthers may have one of the best defenses in the league), the Under looks like a safe play.