It’s a surprisingly important game in the NFC South on Sunday in Week 7 as the overachieving Carolina Panthers visit the New Orleans Saints, who are 7.5-point favourites on the NFL odds. The total opened at 51.

NFL  Week 7 Point Spread and Betting Analysis

This surely will be a bittersweet game for Carolina quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He spent the previous two seasons as the backup quarterback to the Saints’ Drew Brees and went 5-0 as a starter in 2019 when Brees was out injured. Had Brees retired this offseason as he nearly did, the Saints would have had the money to afford Bridgewater in free agency.

However, once Brees decided to play one more year, there essentially was no financial way that New Orleans could re-sign Bridgewater. He got a three-year, $63 million deal with the Panthers and it has worked out well for him thus far.

New Orleans was a lot better than Carolina in 2019 so not much of a surprise that the Saints swept – Brees started both. The one in New Orleans was close, though, a 34-31 Saints victory in Week 12. Will Lutz kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired. Carolina kicker Joey Slye missed a field goal from 28 yards with 2 minutes left. Brees threw for 311 yards and three scores, with Michael Thomas catching 10 balls for 101 yards and a TD. Kyle Allen (now with Washington) was the Carolina QB and threw for three TDs. DJ Moore caught six passes for 126 yards and two scores. Christian McCaffrey had a rushing and receiving TD.

The Saints are 6-3-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past 10 meetings and the over is 8-2 in those.

Carolina Panthers

Carolina’s three-game winning streak ended Sunday in a 23-16 home loss to Chicago as the Panthers turned the ball over three times and were 3-for-13 on third down. Bridgewater had two picks and missed a wide-open DJ Moore with a chance to tie late in the loss. He threw for more yards in the first half of a Week 5 win over Atlanta (261) than he did the entire game (216) vs. Chicago.

Carolina was again without their All-Pro running back in McCaffrey due to an ankle injury and it’s considered a long shot that he plays here. Mike Davis has been pretty good in his place and had a rushing TD Sunday. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback Eli Apple both missed the game due to injury.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints come off their bye week and have been very uneven in the early going, although the All-Pro Thomas hasn’t played since Week 1 due to injury and then a suspension for a reported thrown punch during practice ahead of Week 5 vs. the Chargers. He will play in this one barring something totally unforeseen.

New Orleans was down 20-3 in the second quarter of Week 5 but rallied to win 30-27 in overtime thanks in part to the Chargers’ Michael Badgley missing the potential winning field goal from 50 yards out as time expired in regulation. Brees had been 1-48 in his career as a starting QB in games his team trailed by at least 17 points. He threw for 325 yards and a TD, while Emmanuel Sanders stepped up for Thomas and had 12 catches for 122 yards. As for this one, Coach Sean Payton is 7-3 since the start of 2009 in the regular season coming off a bye week

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Panthers vs. Saints?