The Carolina Panthers have won four of their last five and could be two games above .500 with a win over the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte this weekend.
Pose that possibility to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, though, and you should expect a direct response.
“I just think that you have to acknowledge that every team in this league is capable of ruining your day if you take them seriously,” Evero told reporters earlier this week. “That’s just a fact of life in this league. And every team has the players to beat you, and you have to acknowledge the good players, what they do schematically, how they’re coached.
“(The Saints) have a very good staff. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for (New Orleans head coach) Kellen (Moore) and the work that he does. So we gotta be on top of our game.”
The Panthers (5-4) have big possibilities in front of them. They are playing meaningful football in November as running back Rico Dowdle is playing about as well as any other playmaker in the NFL, the offensive line that can’t stay healthy is proving resilient all the same and quarterback Bryce Young is limiting turnovers and coming up big in crucial moments.
And that’s all without mentioning a run defense that flexed its strength against the Green Bay Packers, and a special teams group that is facilitating complimentary football and more.
The Saints (1-8), meanwhile, are coming to grips with a difficult season. New Orleans spent the 2025 NFL trade deadline as sellers and notably cut a deal with the Seattle Seahawks in which they bid farewell to their fastest wide receiver, Rashid Shaheed, in exchange for draft picks. They’ve moved to a rookie quarterback, who, through three games, has amassed an average passer rating of 63.4, and they’re 31st in the league in points per game (15.3) and red zone scoring (41.67%). Defensively, they’re also not great; they on average allow 129.2 rush yards per game, which too is in the bottom fourth of the NFL.
This all has the makings of a trap game for the Panthers and an opportunity to right the ship for the Saints.
So who will win?
Observer reporters Mike Kaye and Alex Zietlow, as well as Observer columnist Scott Fowler, will provide their answers to that question below. Also in this article is the game’s broadcast information, as well as betting information.
TV and radio channels for Panthers-Saints
Sunday’s game will kick off at 1 p.m. and will be televised on FOX. Play-by-play announcer Chris Myers will be joined by analyst Mark Schlereth and sideline reporter Jen Hale.
Fans can also catch the game on the radio on WRFX The Fox (99.7 FM in Charlotte) with Anish Shroff, Luke Kuechly, Jake Delhomme and Kristen Balboni on the call. You can also listen to the show in Spanish on WXNC 97.3 FM and 1060 AM with Jaime Moreno and Antonio Ramos. Check out the Carolina Panthers Radio Network for your local listings.
Betting lines to know: Carolina is favored
The Panthers haven’t often been favored over the past five or so years. But they will be this week. According to FanDuel Sportsbook as of Saturday, the Panthers are 5.5-point favorites over the Saints.
The over/under line is at 38.5 — so the experts are predicting a relatively low-scoring affair — with the Panthers’ moneyline at -255 and the Saints’ moneyline at +210.
Here’s a look at some other bets:
Alternate Receiving Yards — Jalen Coker. Panthers coaches all week have said they’re interested in getting Coker going this week against the Saints. So take this one as far as you’d like to go. Coker reaches plus odds for receiving yards after 40 receiving yards. Those odds: 40+ (+164), 50+ (+280) ... all the way to 90+ (+1280).
Alternate Rushing Yards — Chuba Hubbard. This could be an interesting day for Hubbard. Rico Dowdle, after all, showed up on the injury report this week, and if the Panthers can get out to an early lead, it might be worth this offense feeding Hubbard a bit. His odds: 25+ (+116), 30+ (+168) ... all the way to 60+ yards (+800).
New Orleans Saints — First Drive Result. The Panthers have yet to allow a first-quarter touchdown this year. They’re the only team in the NFL to have played nine games and have that distinction. So take with that information what you will. The betting information on the table: Saints offensive touchdown (+470), Saints field goal attempt (+350), Saints punt (-135), any other (+550).
Game predictions
For the first time this year, none of the Observer’s three panel of predictors earned a notch in the “win” column after the Panthers’ win over the Packers. That moved Fowler to 6-3 on the season, with Zietlow and Kaye tied at 3-6.
Fowler: Panthers 26, Saints 13. The Panthers’ most recent four wins have all been extremely close, with margins of 3, 3, 7 and 3 points. I think the home team will find a little more breathing room against 1-8 New Orleans, a team with all sorts of problems and that struggles to win games at all. For once, that description doesn’t apply to the Panthers (5-4), but Carolina can’t let this one slip out of its grasp. In any reasonable “Panthers to the playoffs” scenario, the Panthers must beat New Orleans now and again on Dec. 15.
Kaye: Panthers 24, Saints 16. This might be tighter than many expect, given the Panthers’ 5-4 record and the Saints’ 1-8 resume, but I think this will be a lot more comfortable for the home crowd than the score implies. Look for Carolina to take a solid lead to halftime (thinking 17-6) before scoring a game-clinching TD in the third quarter with the Saints in comeback mode. Bryce Young will be the story in this one, as he throws for 250 yards and produces three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
Zietlow: Panthers 28, Saints 10. The Panthers are due for a stress-free win, and looking at the gauntlet of games ahead of them, I think they’ll prioritize making that happen this week against an NFC South foe. Carolina, in theory, should be able to run on the Saints — with both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard — and barring big plays should be able to handle business on defense. Give me the Panthers improving to 4-1 at home.