The New Orleans Saints were hoping to still be alive heading into Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, but they will have to settle for trying to finish the season on a four-game winning streak instead. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week, while Carolina was also eliminated after losing to Tampa Bay. The Panthers picked up a 22-14 win against New Orleans when these teams met in September.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. New Orleans is favored by 3.5 points in the latest Saints vs. Panthers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 41.5. Before entering any Panthers vs. Saints picks, you'll want to see the NFL predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 160-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 14-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of this season.
The model ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Saints vs. Panthers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NFL betting lines for Saints vs. Panthers:
- Saints vs. Panthers spread: Saints -3.5
- Saints vs. Panthers over/under: 41.5 points
- Saints vs. Panthers money line: New Orleans -190, Carolina +158
- Saints vs. Panthers picks: See picks here
Why the Saints can cover
New Orleans is quietly one of the hottest teams in the NFL heading into the final week of the regular season, even if it has already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Saints have notched three straight wins since a 17-16 loss to Tampa Bay on Dec. 5, beating the Falcons, Browns and Eagles in their last three games. They were 3.5-point road underdogs at Cleveland and were 4.5-point underdogs at Philadelphia last week.
Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton was extremely efficient against the Eagles, completing 18 of 22 passes for 204 yads, while running back Alvin Kamara had 16 carries for 74 yards. Defensive star Cameron Jordan had three sacks in that win, setting the Saints' career record with 115.5. New Orleans is 7-1 in its last eight games as a favorite, and it has covered the spread in four of its last six games.
Why the Panthers can cover
Carolina has been undervalued against New Orleans over the past five seasons, covering the spread in seven of the last 10 meetings. The Panthers already picked up one win against the Saints earlier this season, and they have covered the spread in five of their last seven games coming into this matchup. The Panthers came up just short at Tampa Bay last week, but they will still be looking for a positive finish to the regular season.
New Orleans is riding a three-game winning streak, but its level should drop after being officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. The Saints have struggled against division opponents, covering the spread once in their last five tries. They do not have any reason to go all out on Sunday afternoon, so they should not be favored by more than a field goal against a team that already beat them once this season.
How to make Panthers vs. Saints picks
The model has simulated Saints vs. Panthers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Saints? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Saints vs. Panthers spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the model that has crushed its NFL picks, and find out.
