Saints vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 9 (Stay Away From Betting on Carolina)

Iain MacMillan | Nov 1, 2024

Sep 18, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) calls signals on the line against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints have lost six-straight games, but they have a great chance to get back in the win column in Week 9. They're set to take on the lowly Carolina Panthers, a team they've already beat once this season.

Derek Carr has been out for the past two weeks with an injury, but he's set to return to action. It may be too little too late to save the Saints season, but he's going to do his best to drag this team back into the mix in the NFC South.

Let's take a look at the latest odds for the game and then I'll dive into my final score prediction.

Saints vs. Panthers Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Saints -7 (-110)
• Panthers +7 (-110)

Moneyline

• Saints -310
• Panthers +250

Total

• OVER 43.5 (-110)
• UNDER 43.5 (-110)

The spread for this game has remained steady throughout the week, sitting at Saints -7. The total for the game has had some significant movement, dropping from 46 down to 43.5.

Saints vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction

In this week's edition of the "Road to 272 Bets", I wrote about why you shouldn't overthink betting on this game:

The mistake of getting cute and betting on the Panthers because they "have to cover the spread eventually" or "they can't be this bad, can they?" is a trap I've fallen for too many times. The fact of the matter is they're a historically bad team on both sides of the ball and there's a chance Bryce Young starts again in Week 9, which would be a death sentence for their chances to win this game.

New Orleans is expected to get Derek Carr back for this game and this is a completely different team with him at quarterback.

Before placing a bet on this game, just remember the Panthers have an average scoring margin of -18.4 this season, the worst mark in the NFL by 7.5 points.

In terms of the total for this game, I'm going to take the UNDER. The total has moved down 2.5 points for a reason. Bryce Young is horrific and Carr could be limited coming off an injury. Expect a slow-moving game.

Final score prediction: Saints 20, Panthers 10

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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