Saints-Panthers TNF Betting Preview, Odds, Picks
New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers is one of the best games from a pro gambling standpoint. The Thursday Night Football pointspread has Carolina -3.5 with a total of 52. The opener was -4 and 53.5, though juiced at -116 to the under. The game is on NFL Network in conjunction with NBC. Kickoff is 8:25 ET. Weather, including wind, will be a non-factor. However, the smoke index is the highest in three years. In addition to a preview of the fist game of the week, here is one of the last.
Sportsbook betting percentages tell us this is a rare case of the public backing the underdog as 58 percent of wagers are on the Saints. A slightly higher than usual 79 percent favor the over, though it’s only slightly high for the NFL in general, not Saints games.
In comparing yards per rush on offense, the better numbers belong to New Orleans by .1. As far as passing yards per completion on the offensive side of the ball, the upper hand is for the Panthers by .5. According to yards per point, the more efficient offense is the Saints by .4.
Defensively the stingier team based on yards per rush is Carolina by .7. The superior defense in terms of passing yards per completion is by the Panthers by .8 as well. The yards per point statistic used by the best sports handicappers says the superior defense is the Panthers forcing .3 more. Turnover ratio pronounces New Orleans by nine.
Who to bet on: Joe Duffy’s Picks has a big portfolio up. For Thursday, it is an NFL Wise Guy, college football Major. Friday, college football Wise Guy and Major. Saturday, three Wise Guys CFB, four Majors. Sunday, three Wise Guys, two Majors all at OffshoreInsiders.com
Spread betting trends (all records are ATS): New Orleans 6-0 road, but 3-12 in November. Carolina 8-3 home. Totals angles: New Orleans over 8-0 to teams with a losing record, over 17-6 to NFC. Series has gone under 10-3 in Carolina.
