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Saints vs. Panthers: Preview, score prediction for Week 3

By Nick Sparrow

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers reacts in the fourth quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers reacts in the fourth quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers

In the first NFC South matchup of the season, the Carolina Panthers welcome familiar rivals, the New Orleans Saints, to Charlotte on Sunday. The Panthers are currently 2-0 after wins over the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills.

Contrarily, the Saints enter Week 3 looking for their first win of the season after a tough starting schedule of the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. Neither team made the playoffs in 2016, and this game will be vital in changing that trend for whoever wins.

Keys to Victory

The Saints are going to improve their defense if they hope to win this game. New Orleans enters Week 3 ranked 32nd in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed. The Saints have allowed 1,025 yards in two games. To compare, the Panthers have allowed 393 yards. The Panthers offense hasn’t looked too impressive in their first two weeks, but the Saints haven’t proved they can stop any offense.

Due to their defensive struggles, the Saints will need to rely on their offense in this game. Quarterback Drew Brees has only thrown three touchdowns this season, which is on pace for his lowest touchdown total since 2005. The Panthers have only allowed six points in their first two games of the season, so if Brees is going to step up it will have to be against one of the elite NFL defenses.

The Panthers will need to establish a run game early in the contest. Despite his recent struggles, Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. If Panthers want to keep the ball out of Brees’ hands they need to run the effectively to control the tempo of the game. Carolina enters Week 3 with the 18th ranked rushing attack, averaging 96.5 yards per game. If either Jonathan Stewart or Christian McCaffrey can find success against the Saints terrible defense, they could dominate this game.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Carolina -4
Moneyline: Carolina -235, New Orleans +195
Over/Under: 46.5

All betting odds provided by BookMaker via Sportsbook Review

Next: NFL: 5 Teams on upset alert in Week 3

Prediction

Division games are never easy, especially with teams as talented as the Saints and Panthers. I think New Orleans will be able to find success on offense despite how good this Panthers defense. It all comes down Brees, and I still see him as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. However, I don’t see how the Saints can do anything with a defense this bad. If New Orleans doesn’t find a way to stop opposing offenses it could be awhile until their first win of the season.

Final Score: Carolina Panthers: 31, New Orleans Saints: 24

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