The Carolina Panthers travel to the Big Easy in Week 1 of the 2024-25 NFL season for an NFC South clash with the New Orleans Saints. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 8th at the Caesars Superdome and the game will be televised exclusively on the FOX Network in the United States. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Saints listed as four-point home favorites. The spread has widened slightly after early betting, as New Orleans is currently priced at -4.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 40.5 points. Click here for a full look at the Week 1 NFL odds and for more links to our individual game previews.
New Orleans Saints Aim for First Division Crown Since 2020
Despite finishing one game above .500 (9-8) in 2023-24, the Saints missed the playoffs due to a poor head to head record against divisional rivals throughout the regular season. Head coach Dennis Allen is still looking for more upside on the offensive side of the ball, as veteran QB Derek Carr and Co. finished the season ranked around the league average in most offensive categories. However, Carr did manage to cut back on the costly turnovers that consistently plagued him during his time with the Raiders, throwing for almost 4,000 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions (97.7 passer rating).
RB Alvin Kamara certainly wasn’t his usual electrifying self, battling injuries for much of the regular season and barely eclipsing 1,000 total yards. However, rookie back Kendre Miller certainly impressed when called upon, racking up almost 300 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in his first season.
New Orleans did excel at stretching the field however, as flashy wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed combined for almost 2,000 receiving yards. That dynamic duo will be relied upon heavily again in 2024-25 as veteran Michael Thomas is no longer with the team. Taysom Hill will also continue to play a critical role on offense, especially in the red zone where the lumbering dual threat tight end does most of his damage.
On the other side of the ball, the Saints defense was well above average in 2023-24, holding opposing offenses to an average of just 327.2 total yards and 19.2 points per game with a unit that includes stars like Cam Jordan and Demario Davis. Jordan, a veteran defensive end, continues to be a pass rushing force, while Davis provides leadership and playmaking ability down the middle.
Carolina Panthers Look to Climb Out of NFC South Basement
New head coach Dave Canales certainly has his work cut out for him after being hired by the Panthers in January 2024, as Carolina barely managed to escape the 2023-24 campaign with two victories over the entire regular season. Rookie QB Bryce Young certainly struggled mightily in his first full season as a pro, throwing almost as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (11). Things don’t look much brighter for Young in his sophomore season, as the Panthers receiving corps doesn’t feature a lot of high end talent. Newcomer Diontae Johnson looks to be the de facto number one wideout after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason.
Carolina did bolster their running game significantly after drafting RB Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Brooks, the first running back selected in the draft, racked up 1,100+ yards on the ground for the Texas Longhorns last season. However, he did tear his ACL in early November and will likely sit out the first 5-6 games of the 2024 regular season. RB Chuba Hubbard will likely lead the way for the Panthers on the ground until Brooks returns after rushing for a very respectable 902 yards as Carolina’s primary back last season.
Defensively, the Panthers will certainly miss star linebacker Brian Burns, who racked up 46.0 sacks over five seasons with Carolina and is one of the most explosive pass rushers in the entire NFL. Burns was traded to the New York Giants during the offseason and he will leave a massive hole in a defense that performed slightly above expectations in 2023-24. The young secondary will need to take a massive leap in 2024-25 if the Panthers hope to win more than five games, and even if that happens, it still may prove not to be enough.
Our NFL Betting Predictions and Pick: Saints -4.5
Despite the early line movement resulting in a slightly increased spread, I still thank that laying the 4.5 points and siding with the home favorite is a sharp play in this NFC South Divisional matchup. The Panthers were an unmitigated disaster on offense last season, averaging a pathetic 13.9 points per game. There is absolutely no reason to think that things will get any easier for them in 2024, especially in this spot on the road against a well above average defense that will be playing in front of a raucous home crowd.
New Orleans should have no problem putting points on the board on offense either, as the departure of Brian Burns is a massive downgrade for a defensive unit that already can’t afford to give up too many points. The Saints have dominated this rivalry as of late, going 7-3 straight up over their last ten meetings.
It certainly is worth noting that Carolina was atrocious against the spread last season as well, as they went a brutal 4-11-2 ATS on top of their abysmal 2-15 record overall. They also only managed to cover the spread twice when priced as a road underdog heading into kickoff. Finally, New Orleans pummeled the Panthers 28-6 the last time these two teams met in a game featuring a spread under a full touchdown. As long as the current number of 4.5 doesn’t creep up much higher, giving up the points and siding with the Saints is the optimal play.
