I have this one at -4.9 and I’ll take the Saints to keep rolling against a Carolina team that allowed the New York Jets to make a solid comeback attempt late in the game in Week 1. New Orleans QB Jameis Winston looked capable while Panthers QB Sam Darnold had his issues. The Saints were able to bother Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers enough in their opener, and I imagine they will give their division rivals some trouble too.

Maybe the Saints won't miss the army of assistant coaches who'll be out this week due to COVID protocol. But Erik McCoy? Kwon Alexander? Marcus Davenport? They'll be missed, and Marshon Lattimore is questionable as well. The Panthers are feisty under Matt Rhule, and getting more than a field goal for a divisional game in Carolina feels inflated due to the Saints' Week 1 romp. Grab the points.

Driven from home by Hurricane Ida, the Saints are now dealing with multiple absentees — primarily from the sideline. COVID-19 protocols will keep seven assistant coaches out of the stadium. Five players are ruled out for a more conventional reason -- injuries -- with DE Marcus Davenport and C Erik McCoy leaving big holes to fill. Ailing standout CB Marshon Lattimore is a game-time call. That’s lots of disruption to overcome. QB Sam Darnold should be more comfortable in his second start with Carolina. The Panthers have covered in eight of the last 10 as underdogs.

The Saints' injury report is concerning, especially the absences by center Erik McCoy and defensive end Marcus Davenport. Many are discounting Carolina's season-opening win, but there were a lot of positive indicators. The Panthers racked up six sacks and should pressure Jameis Winston into a couple mistakes. Grab the points.

This total is just too low. The Saints offense still looks like the Saints offense, even without Drew Brees, and I expect it to move the ball against Carolina. The Panthers offense looked interesting last week, too, despite finishing with only 19 points. Finally, we can't overlook the QBs. Neither Jameis Winston or Sam Darnold turned the ball over last week. Do you expect that to happen two weeks in a row? I don't, and turnovers often lead to more points.

The Saints are coming off a big upset against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers looked disengaged. This will be a completely different experience for the road team. It has been a crazy week around the Saints, dealing with coaches and one player in Covid-19 protocol. The Saints haven't had a normal week of practice since before Hurricane Ida. They are in Texas right now ahead of this game and dealing with a slew of injuries to key player. The Saints swept the season series against the Panthers last season. Carolina coach Matt Rhule and company are taking this game seriously. Take the generous 3.5 points and consider the money line (+160) as well.

The Saints were without Michael Thomas, David Onyemata and Wil Lutz, among a few others, in the shocking Week 1 blowout win over the Packers and will not have center Erik McCoy or defensive studs Marshon Lattimore or Marcus Davenport in Charlotte. That's a lot of talent lost. Also, five assistant coaches have tested positive for COVID -- obviously, that could spread to players. On the flip side, the Carolina defense looked much improved in Week 1 with six sacks in the win over the Jets. The 2020 Panthers went sackless the first two games and needed seven games to reach six. I believe there's a very good chance Carolina wins this outright but won't lose by more than 3.

The Saints have been elevated by the market after their surprising trouncing of the Packers, with this line a pick 'em on the lookahead number. To me, taking the Panthers this week means fading the Saints at their peak value coming off what will likely be Jameis Winston's best game of the season. While the Saints get Bradley Roby for this game, they lose Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Davenport, taking some bite out of their defense. The Carolina defense opened my eyes last week (even considering the matchup), and that unit looks to be making the jump. I expect a close game here that the Saints likely win by a field goal or less, so I'm hopping on it now to get the hook.

If you're betting on the Saints this week, grab a low number while you can. Oddly enough, the road game actually favors the Saints here, Carolina has only covered the spread five times in its last 16 home games while New Orleans is 13-3 ATS on the road in its last 16. Over the last two seasons, the Saints beat the Panthers in New Orleans by only a combined total of 6 points. The last two in Carolina? 58 points.

The Saints have won their past four visits to Carolina by an average of 20.5 points. New Orleans looked dominant on both sides of the ball in Week 1, beating up on the Packers. The Panthers got to play against the lowly Jets. Sam Darnold will have a tougher time against this Saints defense, while Jameis Winston should do well against Carolina's weak secondary.