Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints Week 1 Odds, Time, and Prediction

Last season, the Carolina Panthers finished with a 2-15 record, the worst in the league. They want to do much better this time around, which is why they hired a new coach/GM duo Dave Canales/Dan Morgan. Their first game in charge of the Panthers is on September 8 at Caesars Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. How will they cope? Let’s find out!

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints Week 1 Odds

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024
• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: FOX

All Eyes on Carolina Panthers Offense

The main reason why the Carolina Panthers were so horrible last season is that their offense was very inefficient. They were tied bottom in the league (together with the New England Patriots) in points per game with an average of just 13.9.

To solve this problem, the franchise owners decided to appoint the offensive mastermind Dave Canales as the head coach. This guy is a former offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also worked as the QB coach for the Seattle Seahawks in the past.

The Panthers also improved their roster by drafting a couple of promising offensive players, most notably wide receiver Xavier Legette in the first round of the 2024 Draft and running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round.

Their quarterback Bryce Young is in his second year in the NFL, so it’s only logical to assume he’s gonna do better than in his rookie season.

New Orleans Saints to Take Advantage of Their Easy SOS

The New Orleans Saints have one of the easiest schedules in the 2024 NFL. Their strength of schedule (SOS) is ranked fifth easiest in the league. One of the games they’re expected to win easily is the Week 1 game against the Panthers.

Judging by the Panthers vs. Saints odds, Dannis Allen’s men should have a relatively easy job at Caesars Superdome. They’re seen as 4-point favorites right now, which is kind of strange given that they play on their turf. At home, they went 5-3 last season, which was tied-fifth best home record in the NFC.

They also have a very good home record against the Panthers, winning in seven of the last 10 Panthers vs. Saints games in New Orleans.

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints Prediction

The Panthers are expected to do better offensively than they did last season, but we expect the same from the Saints as well. That’s why we don’t think the boys from Carolina will have a good time in Louisiana.

We predict that Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, and others will run riot on their defense. Plus, the New Orleans defensive team is good enough to deal with Carolina’s youngsters-filled offense. That’s why our pick is the Saints winning and covering the spread.

Pick: New Orleans Saints -3.5