Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints Prediction NFL Picks 9/8/24

New Orleans Saints (0-0) vs Carolina Panthers (0-0)

Game Info: Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 1:00 pm (Caesars Superdome)

Betting Odds: New Orleans Saints -4 / Carolina Panthers +4 --- Over/Under: 41.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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In this article, we will formulate a Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints prediction for this NFL game on Sunday, September 8th at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week one matchup.

Carolina Panthers Betting Preview

The Carolina Panthers went 2-15 last season and they finished last in the NFC South. Carolina had an awful 2023 season, as they only defeated Houston and Atlanta. The Panthers really struggled on both sides of the ball last year and they didn’t find many positives in their game. The Carolina offense scored 13.9 points per game, while the defense allowed 24.5 points per game. The good news is that Bryce Young was able to make it through the season relatively healthy and all of those snaps should really help him this year. 

Carolina went 1-2 in the preseason, which started with a 17-3 loss against New England. The Panthers lost their second game by a score of 15-12 against the Jets, before defeating the Bills in their third game by a score of 31-26. Carolina is counting on Bryce Young to have a big jump in production from last season, but I still question his supporting cast. The running back room is not great in my opinion and they really need Diontae Johnson to step up and help the receiver room. 

New Orleans Saints Betting Preview

The New Orleans Saints were 9-8 last year and they finished tied for first in the NFC South standings but lost the tiebreaker to the Bucs. New Orleans was 5-7 through their first 12 games, but they finished the season by going 4-1 to finish above .500. The Saints offense averaged 23.6 points per game last year, while the defense allowed 19.2 points against per game. New Orleans was top 10 in points scored per game and points allowed per game, so there were plenty of positives to take from last season. 

New Orleans was 1-2 in the preseason, which began with a 16-14 win against Arizona. The Saints lost their second game by a score of 16-10 against San Francisco and lost their last game by a score of 30-27 against Tennessee. New Orleans will count on Derek Carr once again this season, but he needs the team to have a better-rushing attack to open up the passing game. If the offensive line doesn’t show improvement from 2023, I don’t think the record will be any better. 

Why the Saints will beat the Panthers

  • The Panthers have lost each of their last eight Sunday road games.
  • The Saints have won each of their last five Week 1 games.
  • The Panthers have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games as road underdogs.
  • The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Saints' last four games at Caesars Superdome.
  • The favorites have won the first half in 12 of the Panthers' last 13 games.

Total Points Facts

  • Each of the last seven games between the Panthers and Saints has gone UNDER the total points line.
  • Each of the Panthers' last four September games against NFC South opponents has gone UNDER the total points line.
  • Seven of the last nine Sunday games at Caesars Superdome have gone UNDER the total points line.

New Orleans Saints Player Prop Facts

  • Chris Olave has scored a touchdown in four of his last five Sunday appearances with the Saints as favorites.
  • Derek Carr has thrown two or more touchdowns in each of the Saints' last five games against NFC opponents.
  • Derek Carr has recorded 22+ completions in each of his last eight Week 1 appearances.
  • Derek Carr has recorded 252+ passing yards in eight of his last nine September home appearances.
  • Alvin Kamara has recorded 56+ rushing yards in five of his last six appearances with the Saints as favorites against NFC South opponents.
  • Alvin Kamara has recorded 99+ rushing and receiving yards in four of his five previous September appearances with the Saints as home favorites.
  • Juwan Johnson has recorded 21+ receiving yards in seven of his last eight appearances with the Saints as home favorites.
  • Paulson Adebo is just three away from 10 career interceptions (including playoffs).

Carolina Panthers Player Prop Facts

  • Diontae Johnson has scored a touchdown in three of his last four road appearances.
  • Adam Thielen has recorded 54+ receiving yards in each of his last six regular-season appearances against the Saints.
  • Chuba Hubbard has recorded 92+ rushing and receiving yards in each of the Panthers' last four games as underdogs against NFC South opponents.
  • Chuba Hubbard has recorded 60+ rushing yards in each of the Panthers' last four road games against NFC South opponents.
  • Anthony Brown is just one away from 10 career interceptions.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Saints ranked 2nd in the NFL in Q3 opponent points per game (2.1) last season.
  • The Saints ranked 2nd in the NFL in H2 opponent points per game (7.5) last season.
  • The Panthers ranked 32nd in the NFL in sacks (27.0) last season.
  • The Panthers ranked 32nd in the NFL in forced fumbles (5) last season.

Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints Prediction 

New Orleans comes into this season looking to keep the positive momentum after finishing 2023 on a high note, while the Panthers are just trying to be more competitive this season. Bryce Young should show improvement after the experience of last year, but I still don’t think he has enough help around him. New Orleans gets the benefit of opening the season with a game they should win and I expect the offense to have a strong first showing. New Orleans is the better team in this matchup and they are at home, so I like the Saints to cover this reasonable number. 

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

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