When you get to this stage of the season and begin to look at all the tiebreakers and mathematical permutations that go into deciding who will be heading to the postseason, you start to think of qualifying for the playoffs as a complicated process, which is why reading the NFL lines may get a little tricky.
While that may be true for the teams on the outside looking in right now, the reality is that the path to the playoffs is as simple as winning your division. Simple is a relative term here, as there are some divisions that are a good deal easier to navigate than others.
One division that is turning into a great race this season is the NFC South, where there are currently 3 teams occupying playoff spots. The Wild Card race in the NFC is tight, though, and all three teams in the South know that they need to keep winning in the final few weeks of the season. One of them is going to lose this weekend, as the Carolina Panthers need to go on the road to face the New Orleans Saints, with the division lead on the line.
This is the best Saints team that we have seen in quite some time, as they are not having to lean so heavily on Drew Brees. They have a good run game going this season, and the defense, which is giving up about 20 PPG, thus far, is finally holding up their end of the bargain. The Saints are 5-1 SU in their last 6 at home and have seen the OVER his in 5 of their last 6 meetings with Carolina in the Superdome.
Week 13 NFL Lines & Pick for NFC South Clash: Panthers vs. Saints
DE Charles Johnson has been suspended four games https://t.co/QeKTGzcRSq
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) 1 de diciembre de 2017
- When: Sunday, December 3 at 4:25 PM EST
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
- TV: FOX
- Radio: 1110 AM (Carolina) / 105.3 FM (New Orleans)
- Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
- NFL Lines: New Orleans Saints -5 (Over/Under at 48)
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Cloudy: 21°C/70°F
- Humidity: 64%
- Precipitation: 2%
- Cloud Cover: 69%
- Wind: 7 mph E
- Stadium Type: Indoor
Browns at Chargers NFL Spread & Betting Analysis for Week 13
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Carolina Panthers lead 6-4
- Score: Carolina Panthers 26.70 / New Orleans Saints 27.50
- Rush Yards: Carolina Panthers 144.10 / New Orleans Saints 91.40
- Pass Attempts: Carolina Panthers 33.60 / New Orleans Saints 41.50
- Completion Percentage: Carolina Panthers 56.85 / New Orleans Saints 69.40
- Passing Yards: Carolina Panthers 212.30 / New Orleans Saints 292.00
- Total Yards: Carolina Panthers 356.4 / New Orleans Saints 383.4
- Turnovers: Carolina Panthers 1.20 / New Orleans Saints 1.30
Why bet on the Carolina Panthers?
The Panthers started this season by winning games but doing so in a style that was not particularly pretty to watch. They seem to have ironed out the kinks and are now starting to put together a run that might well carry them all the way to the postseason. With things so tight in this division, the Panthers know that taking out their divisional rivals is the best way to secure the South crown and land a better seeding once the playoffs begin. Despite having the NFL Lines against them, a win in this one would leapfrog them over the Saints and into first place, giving them a 3-1 record in division games. That they would place their playoff destiny firmly in their own hands. Carolina is just 2-4 SU in their last 6 visits to New Orleans, and are a rather woeful 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against the Saints overall. That said, they have been good recently, going 4-1 SU and ATS in their last 5 games.Team Statistics
Offense- Average Score For: 22.55
- Total Yards: 333.18
- Rush Yards: 129.18
- Passing Yards: 204.00
- Average Score Against: 18.82
- Total Yards: 288.28
- Rush Yards: 83.19
- Passing Yards: 205.09
Why bet on the New Orleans Saints?
The Saints saw their 8-game win streak come to an end with a loss to the LA Rams on the road last week. While they will certainly be disappointed to have seen their positive run halted, there is no shame in losing on the road to a team that will almost certainly be playoff bound. The Saints will be well aware that they are still in control of their own destiny, as they have the best record against their divisional foes this season, going 3-0 in those match-ups.
This is the best Saints team that we have seen in quite some time, as they are not having to lean so heavily on Drew Brees. They have a good run game going this season, and the defense, which is giving up about 20 PPG, thus far, is finally holding up their end of the bargain. The Saints are 5-1 SU in their last 6 at home and have seen the OVER his in 5 of their last 6 meetings with Carolina in the Superdome.
Team Statistics
Offense- Average Score For: 29.27
- Total Yards: 409.36
- Rush Yards: 142.09
- Passing Yards: 267.27
- Average Score Against: 20.18
- Total Yards: 409.36
- Rush Yards: 112.91
- Passing Yards: 221.82
Latest NFL Betting Trends for Week 13
- Panthers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- Panthers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina’s last 9 games
- Saints are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games
- Saints are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games
