New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers, 12/17/18 Predictions & Odds

Saints vs. Panthers Total Prediction

NFC South rivals clash in Charlotte on Monday night when the Panthers host the Saints at 8:15 p.m. ET. With the total sitting at 50, is that too high for these two rivals or will the teams combine for enough points to push the score over the number?

Game Snapshot

331 New Orleans Saints at 332 Carolina Panthers

8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, December 17

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Saints are 6-point favorites to beat the Panthers. The total, meanwhile, sits at 50 points. As of this writing, 64% of the public betting tickets are on the Saints to cover the point spread.

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees completed 24-of-31 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's Week 14 win over the Buccaneers. Brees has struggled in Tampa Bay for a few seasons and Sunday was no different. After a luckluster first half, Brees threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Zach Line in the third quarter and then added a 1-yard touchdown dive over the defense for a rushing score to put the Saints ahead in the fourth quarter. The Saints play on the road in Carolina in Week 15.

Carolina Panthers

Christian McCaffrey rushed 16 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' Week 14 loss to the Browns, adding six receptions for 38 additional yards. McCaffrey is now up to 12 touchdowns over his past seven games. He appeared to find the end zone for a third time, but the play was called back by a Panthers penalty. McCaffrey's usage has been truly jaw-dropping under OC Norv Turner and will remain so down the stretch due to Cam Newton's (shoulder) arm strength woes. The Saints' elite run defense is on tap for Week 15.

NFL Betting Trends

New Orleans

The under is 5-2 in the Saints’ last five games when facing a team with a losing record.

Carolina

The over is 6-2 in the Panthers’ last eight games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.

Prediction

The under is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings between these two teams in Charlotte. The Saints offense, despite scoring 28 points last week, has mostly struggled the past two weeks as Brees has taken a step backwards from his MVP-like pace in the first few months of the season. New Orleans’ defense isn’t getting a lot of attention right now but it should. The Saints have allowed 23 points or fewer in nine of their last 10 games with the lone exception being a 45-35 shootout versus the Rams. With Cam Newton struggling with his accuracy due to a shoulder injury, the under should be a good bet tonight.

NFL Week 15 Prediction: Saints/Panthers under 50