Sunday Night Football Betting Preview: Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, 12/8/13, 8:30 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: New Orleans -3.5
Current Betting Line: New Orleans -3
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 46.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Seahawks Saints NFL Preview — The New Orleans Saints are 11-1 SU as home favorites of 3.5 to 7 points since 2011

Carolina has gone 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS in its last eight affairs, as it comes off a 27-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 7.5-point home favorites last Sunday, while going UNDER the betting total for a fifth consecutive contest. “There is no roof, no sky,” commented Panthers defensive coordinator Greg Hardy. “They feel like they can’t be beat.” The Panthers have won four straight on the road and were the last team to beat the Saints at the Superdome, which is important to consider when making your NFL betting picks. Carolina is 9-14 SU and 14-9 ATS as underdogs the last two-plus seasons.

The Panthers will need a huge performance out of starting quarterback Cam Newton, who went 18 of 29 for 263 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions last week. Carolina has turned the ball over just seven times in its last eight games, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NFL betting lines in Week 14. On the defensive side of the ball, leading pass rusher Charles Johnson is expected back on the field, as he’s missed the last two games with a knee injury.

New Orleans had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 34-7 blowout defeat to the Seattle Seahawks as 6.5-point road underdogs Monday night, while going UNDER the betting total for a third consecutive affair. The Saints haven’t lost consecutive games in a single regular season under coach Sean Payton since 2009, while they’ve averaged 33.2 points at home—trailing only the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys in that category. New Orleans is 11-1 SU and 10-2 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 7 points since 2011.

The Saints have turned the ball over just 14 times this season, with quarterback Drew Brees piloting the offense. New Orleans has outscored opponents by a 199-95 margin in its six home wins during the 2013 campaign. Brees is just 287 yards shy of becoming the fifth player with 50,000 NFL passing yards. The franchise is 14-3 SU at home in prime-time games since Payton arrived in 2006.