The Carolina Panthers will face off against the New Orleans Saints at 1:00 ET on Sunday, September 8th. This matchup is being played at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

FOX will cover the week one matchup between the Panthers and Saints, with the Saints favored at -201 on the money line. The game, set for 1:00 ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, has the Saints as -4 point favorites. The over/under line is currently at 41.5 points.

• Date: Sunday, September 8th
• Time: 1:00 ET
• Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
• TV: FOX

Panthers vs Saints

The Panthers are coming off a season in which they went just 2-15 overall. They were winless on the road, going 0-9, but managed two wins at home (2-6). Carolina’s only two wins came against the Falcons, as they were 1-4 in non-conference games. Against teams with above .500 records, they went 1-11, and they went 1-4 against teams with below .500 records.

Against the spread, the Panthers were 4-11-2, with a 3-4-1 record at home and a 1-7-1 record on the road. Their over/under record was 5-12, and their games averaged 38.4 points, which was 29th in the league. The average over/under line in their games was 40.3.

The Saints were 4-4-1 against the spread vs. below .500 teams last season. Overall, they went 9-8, finishing 2nd in the NFC South with a 4-2 record against division rivals. Their ATS record for the season was 6-10-1. New Orleans was tough as home favorites, going 5-2 straight-up, but they struggled on the road, going 3-5 vs. the spread. Against the Saints, the over/under was 6-11, and their games averaged 42.9 points per game.

New Orleans went 7-2 vs. below .500 teams but struggled against tougher opponents, going 2-6. Their ATS record as favorites was 4-8-1, and as underdogs, it was 2-2. On the road, they were 3-5 ATS, and at home, they were 3-5 ATS. Their only game as home underdogs resulted in a failed cover.

Panthers Injury Report

• Dane Jackson – Hamstring (Out)
• Anthony Brown – Undisclosed (Out)
• Devin Carter – Undisclosed (Out)
• Sam Franklin Jr. – Foot (Out)
• Cam Gill – Ankle (Out)
• Amaré Barno – Undisclosed (Out)
• D.J. Wonnum – Undisclosed (Out)
• Popo Aumavae – Undisclosed (Out)
• Jonathon Brooks – Knee (Out)
• Jaden Crumedy – Ankle (Out)
• Ian Thomas – Calf (Questionable)
• Tommy Tremble – Hamstring/back (Questionable)
• Cade Mays – Shoulder (Questionable)
• Yosh Nijman – Leg (Questionable)
• Miles Sanders – Finger (Questionable)

Saints Injury Report

• Camron Peterson – Undisclosed (Out)
• Rejzohn Wright – Undisclosed (Out)
• Pete Werner – Shoulder (Probable)
• Marshon Lattimore – Hip (Questionable)
• Khalen Saunders – Calf (Questionable)
• D’Marco Jackson – Calf (Questionable)
• Dallin Holker – Ankle (Questionable)
• Jaylan Ford – Hamstring (Questionable)
• Nephi Sewell – Undisclosed (Out)
• Ryan Ramczyk – Knee (Out)
• Tanoh Kpassagnon – Achilles (Out)
• Justin Herron – Undisclosed (Out)
• Kendre Miller – Hamstring (Out)
• Willie Gay – Back (Questionable)
• Nick Saldiveri – Calf (Questionable)

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offense was one of the worst in the league last season, finishing 30th in power rankings and averaging only 13.9 points per game, which was 31st in the NFL. The Panthers struggled to move the ball, averaging just 265.3 yards per game and 4.1 yards per play, ranking last in both categories. They were also dead last in passing yards per game, averaging only 161.2 yards per game.

One of the reasons for their struggles was an inability to sustain drives through the air, as they ranked 32nd in passing yards and 32nd in percentage of first downs by passing. In the running game, the Panthers were 20th in both rushing attempts and rushing yards, averaging 104.1 yards per game on the ground.

Bryce Young played in 16 games last season and is heading into his 2nd season in the league. He finished with a passer rating of 73.7, throwing for 2,877 yards, which ranked him 20th in the league. Young recorded 11 touchdowns (19th) and 10 interceptions last year.

Young averaged 32 passing attempts per game, ranking 11th in the league, and 19 completions per game, ranking 14th. For the season, he completed 59.8% of his passes and averaged 179 passing yards per game.

Saints Offense Breakdown

The Saints’ ATS record of 6-10-1 included a mark of 4-8-1 as the favorite and 2-2 as the underdog. They were below .500 against teams with winning records (2-6) but performed well against weaker opponents, going 7-2 against below .500 teams. New Orleans wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-8 record, placing them 2nd in the NFC South, and they were 9th in the NFC overall. Within their division, they were 4-2.

When favored, the Saints went 7-6 straight-up. Their home record was 5-3, and they were 3-5 vs. the spread. On the road, they went 3-5-1 ATS. Their over/under record was 6-11, and their games averaged 42.9 points per game.

Playing in 17 games last season, Derek Carr had a touchdown to interception ratio of 25/8 and finished with a passer rating of 97.7, ranking 13th in passing yards with 3,878. He heads into this season with the Saints, looking to improve on his 228 passing yards per game, which was 13th in the league.

Carr had the 9th most passing attempts per game and the 6th most passing completions per game last season. He also finished the year with a completion percentage of 68.4% and threw for at least one touchdown in his final five games.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite being one of the better units against the pass, the Panthers’ defense struggled to get to the quarterback, finishing 24th in quarterback hits and 21st in sacks. They allowed 24.5 points per game, ranking 29th in the league, and their overall yardage defense was 3rd best, allowing just 293.9 yards per game. However, they gave up 28.1 points per game on the road.

Carolina’s run defense was also a weakness, as they gave up 4.1 yards per attempt, ranking 26th in the league. In terms of taking the ball away, they forced 11 turnovers and had the 13th best turnover differential in the league.

Saints Team Defense

The Saints’ defense was one of the best at taking the ball away last season, ranking 3rd in the league with 29 takeaways. They also excelled in defending the pass, giving up 207.3 passing yards per game and holding quarterbacks to a 59.7% completion percentage, which was the 2nd best in the league. Overall, the Saints allowed just 19.2 points per game, placing them 6th in the NFL, and their defense power ranking was 8th.

Despite not generating a lot of quarterback pressure (sacks), the Saints were tough against the run, giving up the 4th fewest rushing touchdowns. Additionally, they held opponents to a 34.5% conversion rate on third downs, ranking 4th in the league.

Panthers vs Saints Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Carolina has an ATS record of 1-3-1 while averaging 9 per game. The team went 0-5 overall in these games.
• Across their three previous home games, New Orleans has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 20 points per game.
• As the betting underdog, the Panthers have an ATS mark of just 3-6-1 in their last ten games. Carolina posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
• As the betting favorite, the Saints have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.

Panthers vs Saints Prediction

Our prediction for this week one matchup between the Panthers and Saints is to take the Panthers to cover the spread. They are currently sitting at +4 point road underdogs, and we have them winning 23-21. As for the best way to bet this one, take the Panthers to cover at +4.

For an over/under pick, we really like the over with the line sitting at 41.5 points. Our projections have these teams combining for 44 points, making the over a great pick in this one.

---

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

---

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.