NFC Wild Card Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints: Preview and Prediction

When: Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)

Where: New Orleans SuperDome

Line: Saints -7

The New Orleans Saints prepare to host the Carolina Panthers this Sunday and it will be their third meeting of the season. While it’s hard to beat a team three times (happens a little more than half the time), the Saints have the advantage in this matchup.

The Saints have an improved running game with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara and a much better defense than last year, which makes the Saints an extremely dangerous team going into the playoffs.

Cam Newton is struggling

If this were in Carolina, the Panthers would have more of a chance, but Cam Newton is going to play similar to last week when he faces the Saints’ defense.

The Saints pressured him in both meetings and have forced turnovers. Newton is going to be under pressure a lot and you can bet the Saints will be spying him so that he doesn’t beat them on the ground.

Greg Olsen at tight end will help and he was not present in either match this year, but the Panthers will still have a hard time scoring points.

The Saints are just too loaded on offense

Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Mark Ingram were dangerous enough, but Alvin Kamara has added a new layer to the offense, making the Saints as deadly as anyone on the offensive side of the ball.

The Panthers do have a good front seven, but will not be able to contain all of the weapons. Expect Ted Ginn to make at least one big play against his former team.

Prediction

The Saints will dominate this game from start to finish and defend their home field convincingly.

Saints 38  Panthers 17

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