Free Picks: New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers

The Saints are Back

The Carolina Panthers are a strange team. They’re 3-3 and have had a tough schedule to start the season, but they were riding a three-game winning streak before falling to the Chicago Bears in Week 6. They currently rank 11th in yards per game at 383.5 and are sixth in total passing yards at 600. The Panthers weren’t supposed to be very good this season, but that’s not too shabby, especially when you consider that RB Christian McCaffery has been out for most of the season.

But as good as they’ve looked at times this season, I just don’t think that there’s any way they can beat the Saints this weekend. The Saints are a different team at home and are coming off a bye week. They also get star wide receiver Michael Thomas back in the fold, which will only open up the offense even more.

Most of the damage New Orleans has done this season has been through RB Alvin Kamara, who is basically a wide receiver/running back hybrid. He’s ranked first in receiving yards among all running backs with 395. Second place? It’s the Panther’s Mike Davis with 209. He’s performed admirably in McCaffery’s stead, but Kamara is a freak of nature.

The Panthers are overachieving in a lot of ways this season. They’re going to put up points, there’s no doubt about that. New Orleans ranks in the bottom third in nearly every major defensive statistical category. It’ll be a shootout, but I think New Orleans ends up taking this one by more than one score. I give it a 34-23 final score.

FREE PICK: THE TOTAL POINTS 51 WILL HIT OVER (1.91)

FREE PICK: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WILL COVER THE POINT SPREAD -7.5 (1.94)