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Carolina at New Orleans NFL Wild Card Odds & Preview
When: Sunday, January 7, 2018, 1:05pm ET Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville TV: CBS Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Wild Card Odds: New Orleans (-7), O/U 48“I don’t care if it’s the ’85 Bears. I’m not sure if anyone can come in and give the @Saints the business in New Orleans.” Panthers. Saints. This is going to be good. #CARvsNO 📺: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/L5yjg07k7A
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 2, 2018
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Cloudy: 16°C/61°F
- Humidity: 68%
- Precipitation: 22%
- Cloud Cover: 63%
- Wind: 14 mph SE
- Stadium Type: Indoor
Why should you bet on the Panthers?
New Orleans won the two regular-season matchups between the two teams by a combined score of 65-34. Carolina has had a hard time both stopping the run and the pass against the Saints. They permitted 20.4 points per game for the season, though, so they have a better track record overall than their games with the Saints show. Luke Kuechly led the team with 115 tackles and also had three interceptions. However, safety Kurt Coleman (ankle) remains questionable for the playoff game. The Panthers’ offense has been much better this season than it was in 2016. Cam Newton threw for 3,302 yards and 22 touchdowns — although he had 16 interceptions as well. He did run for 754 yards, adding a unique dimension to the Panthers’ attack. Jonathan Stewart only averaged 3.4 yards per carry out of the backfield, and rookie Christian McCaffrey has an explosive element that the Panthers are still figuring out how to include more frequently. Wideout Devin Funchess had two solid games against the Saints, combining for 118 receiving yards in the two matchups. If you like the Panthers, then you think that their defense will do a better job stopping Drew Brees & Co. And remember — it’s hard to beat the same team three times in one season.Why should you put your money on the Saints?
Drew Brees had another stellar year statistically, throwing for 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns (with just eight picks) on the season. In the two games against Carolina, he threw for a combined 389 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. The emergence of Alvin Kamara, both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield, has been the biggest story for the Saints’ offense this year. Mark Ingram has run for 1,124 yards this season, and along with Kamara’s 728 yards, that’s proven to be a huge unit. Wideout Michael Thomas has gained 1,245 yards on the year, and with a unit this good, it’s not hard to see how they average 28.0 points per game. In New Orleans the past few years, the weak link has been their defense. This year, though, they have turned that around. Cameron Jordan has put up an incredible 13 sacks, to lead the team (who has 42 as a whole). They did not look that solid against Tampa Bay in that finale, but letdowns in Week 17 for teams that have made the playoffs are not all that infrequent, and the Buccaneers have played everyone in the NFC South close all season long.Latest NFL Wild Card Betting Trends
- Panthers are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games
- Panthers are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina’s last 7 games
- Saints are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games
- Saints are 11-3 SU in their last 14 games
- The total has gone OVER in 15 of New Orleans’s last 21 games at home
