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Panthers vs. Saints Odds, Picks, Predictions Week 18: Nothing to Play for in New Orleans

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: January 8, 2023 6:11 AM EST • 2 min 39 sec read.

Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints passes against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints passes against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images via AFP.

The Carolina Panthers will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a game without any playoff implications. Read on for our top Panthers-Saints pick.

The final regular season week is interesting from a handicapping perspective, with a select number of teams competing for playoff seeds. In this case, neither the Panthers nor Saints have a chance at making the postseason when they meet for their Week 18 finale in New Orleans.

Carolina (6-10) comes into this contest with some momentum, winning three of its last five and staying within one score in two losses. New Orleans (7-9) enters the weekend on a three-game win streak since its bye, and is favored in this divisional matchup to close out the regular season.

Here is our best Panthers vs. Saints Week 18 NFL pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NFL best bets for Week 18, picks roundup, and against the spread power rankings.

Panthers vs. Saints Game Info

  • Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: FOX
  • Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
  • Weather: Indoors

Panthers vs. Saints Odds

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Panthers vs. Saints Odds Analysis

New Orleans opened as a 3-point favorite, but the line jumped above the key number to 3.5. The Saints suffered a 22-14 loss to the Panthers as 1-point road favorites on Sept. 25, but a lot has changed since then. Carolina is 8-8 against the spread, while New Orleans is 7-9 ATS this year.

The total moved up to 41.5 and 42 after opening at 38.5 earlier in the week. The Saints are 10-6 to the Under, and the Panthers are 8-8 on point totals. The total was set at 40.5 when these two teams last met, finishing Under by 4.5 points.

At Pregame.com, the Saints received 64% of spread bets and the Over attracted 58% of tickets. The handle disagrees on both, however, with 72% of cash on the Under and 53% of spread money backing the Panthers.

Panthers vs. Saints Pick

Under 42 ⭐⭐⭐

The betting lines are right in line with my projection to have the Saints secure a 22.5-19.1 win Sunday. It's good news for a random Week 18 matchup, but it makes choosing a game pick more difficult. Settle on the Under because my model and the betting market might show too much respect to these offenses in a meaningless game.

Carolina and New Orleans rank 23rd and 22nd, respectively, in offensive DVOA via Football Outsiders. The Saints average 20.2 points per game, an NFL 22nd. The Panthers are 18th in scoring with an average of 21.1 PPG.

Both defenses are underrated. New Orleans is ninth in defensive DVOA. Carolina has a top-10 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus, ideal for a matchup against an Andy Dalton-led passing attack.

This week could turn into an audition for younger players on both sides of the ball. If that’s the case, it is tough to see these two teams scoring much more than 42 combined points. 

After the early market movement, the Under is currently the best option for this game.

Panthers vs. Saints Best Odds

DraftKings (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
4241.541.54242
-110-112-110-110-110

With three of our five top-rated sportsbooks hanging the same line, bettors should have no problem getting an Under bet. DraftKings, Caesars, and PointsBet all offer -110 odds on a total of 42.

It is difficult to imagine the number getting any higher, especially when BetMGM and FanDuel sit at 41.5. If you can’t get a 42 for some reason, consider attacking the team-total market instead.

Panthers-Saints pick made 1/6/2023 at 11:02 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Shane Jackson
After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas in 2017, Shane Jackson covered college sports for a few years before moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career in sports betting. He created sports betting content for WynnBET and served as a sports gambling content director for Bet Chicago Sports. Shane’s favorite sports to watch and bet on are NFL, college football, college basketball, NBA, WNBA, and golf. Follow Shane on Twitter (@SJacksonBET) to get access to all of his betting analysis.