The Carolina Panthers are set to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL football odds series, which includes our Panthers-Saints prediction and pick we have laid out below.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here’s the Panthers-Saints odds:

NFL odds: Panthers-Saints Odds 

Panthers: +6.5 (-110)

Saints: -6.5 (-110)

Over: 37.5 (-110)

Under: 37.5 (-110)

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Why Panthers Could Cover the Spread 

The Carolina Panthers had one of the hottest starts to their season, before completely unraveling during the second half. Injuries to key players such as Christian McCaffrey and Sam Darnold did not help at all.

For more insight on the Panthers-Saints matchup in Week 17, listen below:

After winning their first three games of the year, the Panthers lost 10 of their next 12 games, marking a 5-10 record. They are 4th in the NFC South and face two divisional opponents in the Saints and Bucs to end their season.

Carolina's offense ranks 26th in points per game (18.5) and 28th in yards per game (305.7). The addition of Cam Newton has not played out as well as the Panthers would have liked, as they have lost five of their most recent games. A bright spot has been the kicking unit, as the Panthers are 3rd in the NFL in field goal conversion percentage (92.31%).

At the start of the season, the Panthers were considered one of the strongest defenses in the league. They are still very good, just not as dominant as in September. The Panthers allow 23.o points and 300.8 yards per game to opponents. They rank 2nd in opponent yards per play (5.0) and 2nd in opponent pass yards per game (182.3). They will be going against a Saints offense currently depleted at quarterback. Ian Book got absolutely demolished by the Dolphins on Monday Night football, so New Orleans should be expecting to start Taysom Hill once he is ready to go. The Saints are 0-4 against the spread in their last four home games.

Why Saints Could Cover the Spread 

The New Orleans Saints are hanging on by a thread for a Wild card playoff berth in 2021. They have a 7-8 record, including a 2-5 record at home. After shutting out Tom Brady and the Bucs on the road, the Saints lost 20-3 to Miami last week. The offense looked abysmal, as they totaled just 164 yards. If New Orleans wants a shot at winning the next two games, they will need Taysom Hill back under center. This season, the Saints rank 17th in points per game (21.1) and 31st in yards per game (301.9). They have constantly relied on their defense to bail them out and win them games all season. Holding Tom Brady to 0 points for the first time in a decade is a prime example of how dominant this defense can play when healthy. Luckily, the Panthers offense has been having issues so the defense will not have much trouble on Sunday. It's the offense that will need to will the Saints to victory.

Defensively, New Orleans ranks 4th in opponent points per game (20.3) and 12th in opponent yards per game (331.7). They lead the NFL in opponent yards per rush (3.7) and average 1.3 takeaways per game. Cameron Jordan leads this defense with 8 sacks as Marcus Davenport has 7.5 sacks. This defensive line will cause many problems for Darnold on Sunday, if he gets the start. Over their last 13 division games, the Saints are 9-4 against the spread.

Final Panthers-Saints Prediction & Pick

This is an interesting situation regarding the quarterback play for the Saints. I believe that the best course of action is to check the injury report leading up to the game. If Book is designated to start, then I would take the Panthers with the points. Carolina can play spoiler and defeat the Saints straight up, ruining their playoff hopes in a divisional battle.

Final Panthers-Saints Prediction & Pick: Carolina Panthers +6.5 (-110)