Panthers vs. Saints Total Prediction
There won’t be much on the line this Sunday in New Orleans where the Saints will host NFC South rival the Carolina Panthers at 1:00 p.m. ET. With the Saints possibly resting starters, will the game turn out to be a defensive struggle?
Game Snapshot
305 Carolina Panthers at 306 New Orleans Saints
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 30
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Saints are 7.5-point favorites to beat the Panthers. The total, meanwhile, sits at 43.5 points. As of this writing, 73% of the public betting tickets are on the Saints to cover the point spread.
Carolina Panthers
Kyle Allen will start the Panthers’ Week 17 finale against the Saints. Cam Newton (shoulder) isn’t healthy and Taylor Heinicke injured his left elbow last Sunday and was sent to I.R. on Wednesday. That leaves UDFA rookie Allen atop the depth chart, followed by Garrett Gilbert, who was signed Wednesday. Allen (6’3/210) came on for a series last week and went 4-of-4 for 38 scoreless yards. Tee up the Saints defensive unit at home for this matchup.
New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees said there’s “no doubt” Teddy Bridgewater will see playing time against the Panthers in Week 17. The Saints locked up home-field advantage with last week’s win over Pittsburgh, meaning they have nothing to gain by playing their studs in Week 17. The starters should see some snaps against Carolina, though obviously the Saints don’t want to risk any of their stars getting hurt. With that in mind, Bridgewater should see a decent workload in Sunday’s glorified exhibition. The former first-round pick has logged just 19 snaps this season.
NFL Betting Trends
Carolina
The under is 4-0 in the Panthers’ last four games overall and is 5-1 in their last six road games.
New Orleans
The under is 5-1 in the Saints’ last six games overall and 4-1 in their last five games coming off a win.
Prediction
Allen was signed by the Panthers off their practice squad last week and wound up seeing playing time against the Falcons last Sunday because Taylor Heinicke suffered an elbow injury during the game. Allen didn’t move the ball much in the second half and probably won’t lead the Panthers to enough scoring this weekend in New Orleans. With the Saints likely to rest a lot of their offensive stars, the under the best play when it comes to the total.
NFL Week 17 Prediction: Panthers/Saints under 43.5