Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
Time: 1 PM ET (FOX)
Spread: CAR -9.5
M/L: CAR -480, NOS +340
Total: 42.5
Betting odds c/o Bovada
Let the good time’s roll for Carolina Panther fans. The team improved to 2-0 with its 24-17 win over the Houston Texans last week and will look to further the win streak as 9.5 point favorites over the struggling New Orleans Saints in Week 3 NFL action which will air on FOX at 1 PM EST.
Cam Newton showed what a dual-threat QB he can be last week for the Panthers. He threw two TD passes and somersaulted into the end zone for a third TD, finishing the game with 195 passing yards and another 70 afoot. He was aided by RB Jonathan Stewart who came through with a workhorse 62 yards on 17 carries. He is listed as questionable with a knee injury.
TE Greg Olson led the team in receiving with six catches for 70 yards, while WR Corey Brown had three catches for 57 yards and one of the team’s two receiving TDs. It was an improvement on his week 1 performance in many ways, though he did complete a higher percentage of passes in Week 1.
The fifth-year QB from Auburn is still hoping to cash in a lot of potential and it will begin with getting more yardage on his pass plays. Thus far he has been good for just 5.44 yards per attempt, while also struggling with accuracy as the holder of two INTs.
Between Stewart and Newton, the team has the juice to compete, and this could be a big week for it to really show it means business with a 3-0 start. It will hope Ted Ginn Jr bounces back, as he led the team in receiving in Week 1 and still holds the team-high in yardage with 95 on the season.
Defensively, Thomas Davis has been great for the Panthers with 12 solo tackles, three assisted and a sack on the year. Mario Addison leads the team in sacks with two, and the team has six on the season.
Kicker Graham Gano has struggled, knocking in just 3 of his 6 field goals, though two of the three misses have been from beyond 50 yards in fairness. Punter Brad Nortman has been good with 11 punts at a 40.8 yard net average, and he has placed two punts within the 20.
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Things have gone less well for the 0-2 Saints who fell 26-19 last week to a bad Tampa Bay team. It is a lot worse considering Drew Brees is out and Josh McCown is in. Brees is nursing a sore rotator cuff.
However, it has been over four years since McCown has entered a game and nearly eight years since he’s thrown a TD pass. He is just 2-7 as a starter and has hung to an NFL career by the skin of his teeth.
Last week Brees threw 24 completions for 255 yards with a TD and an INT, and Mark Ingram added 53 yards of rushing on 16 carries. Khiry Robinson stepped in to get 48 yards with just five attempts, so perhaps he could be in for more looks this week.
The Saints may have to turn to its top two rushers if McCown is as disastrous as some anticipate he could be, and rust is far from the only reason. Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks are both very good receivers, as is Willie Snead, but it’s uncertain whether McCown can hit them in their usual routes to make this offense continue to click, which it really had not been at any rate.
The Panthers may have never expected itself to be Week 3 favorites over the Saints, but injuries can change a lot and Carolina has been better than expected. Carolina should be able to come and take care of business in this game to win by at least a TD.
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