The Carolina Panthers have alternated wins and losses for the last seven weeks, but it's been enough to earn them the top spot in the NFC South. The Panthers can take another step toward a playoff berth — their first since 2017 — with a win at New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.
The Saints have the fourth-worst record in the NFL and will be without a top contributor for Sunday's division rivalry game. New Orleans upset the Panthers in Charlotte last month; look for Carolina to get revenge.
My Panthers vs. Saints predictions and NFL picks call for the Panthers to roll as road favorites on December 14.
Panthers vs Saints prediction
Panthers vs Saints Best bet: Panthers moneyline (-156)
The Carolina Panthers have been wandering through the desert since Cam Newton's peak. They have a seven-season playoff drought and have gone through coaches and starting quarterbacks like Gatorade cups on the sidelines under fiery owner David Tepper.
Dave Canales and former top overall pick Bryce Young have stabilized things, however. Carolina has already matched its best win total of the last eight seasons, and the Panthers are in first place in the division by a half game. If they win this week and next, they'll wrap up the division crown before week 17.
Carolina is a road favorite this week, just the second time that's happened in three years. The Panthers haven't handled success well this season. Just as the team seems ready to take a step forward, it's fallen on its face.
That pattern includes embarrassing losses to the Bills at home and the 49ers on Monday Night Football. It also consists of a 17-7 home loss to these Saints in November.
That game was the best start of the season for New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who had a career-high 282 passing yards against the Panthers.
As if the promise of a playoff berth weren't motivation enough, the Panthers will be looking for a bit of revenge against Shough and the Saints, whom several players on Carolina feel they may have overlooked in that first matchup.
The Saints' offense is bottom five in the league in scoring, turnovers lost, passing touchdowns, and the major rushing categories (yards, TDs, and per carry average).
The Saints have lost three straight ATS at home, and last week's upset at Tampa Bay was their first time topping the 20-point mark in eight games.
Panthers vs Saints same-game parlay
Both teams have low-scoring offenses. The Saints are in the bottom five in most categories, and Carolina is one of the five worst scorers and, other than rushing yards, is in the bottom half of the NFL in most offensive measures.
The Panthers have gone under in the last three games; their over/under was as low as 40.5, including the 17-7 (-38) loss to the Saints last month. New Orleans has gone under four of the previous five times they've seen a total of 40.5 or lower, including twice over the previous four games.
This game should be a low-scoring battle of field goals, but the Panthers will give the ball to Rico Dowdle to kill the clock in the second half. He'll likely reward them with a late touchdown to seal things in what may be the game's only trip to the end zone.
Panthers vs Saints SGP
- Panthers moneyline
- Rico Dowdle anytime touchdown
- Under 40.5
Our big-ticket SGP: Shough Not Enough!
After just over a month as a starter, the league has enough film on Shough. He had his worst passing day since his first NFL start last week at Tampa Bay (144 yards).
This week, he'll be without his top running back as Alan Kamara has been ruled out. Kamara is also a valuable dump-off passing target for Shough, who will be facing a Panthers defense that can apply pressure and force turnovers.
Panthers vs Saints SGP
- Rico Dowdle Over 56.5 rushing yards
- Tyler Shough under 202.5 passing yards
- Tyler Shough under 31.5 yards longest pass
- Rico Dowdle anytime touchdown
Panthers vs Saints odds
- Spread: Panthers -2.5 (-110) | Saints +2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Panthers -135 | Saints +115
- Over/Under: Over 40 (-110) | Under 40 (-110)
More NFL picks and odds from Covers
Panthers vs Saints trend to know
The New Orleans Saints have hit the team total Under in 12 of their last 20 games. Find more NFL betting trends for Panthers vs. Saints.
How to watch Panthers vs Saints
| Location | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA |
| Date | Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 4:25 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
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