Steve Starr
- New Orleans is a 3-point road favorite over Carolina in Week 2 of the NFL season
- No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young tossed two interceptions in his pro debut against Atlanta
- Monday Night Football on ESPN kicks off from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, CA at 7:15 pm ET
An all-NFC South affair on Monday Night Football? Don’t worry – Saints vs Panthers is just one of two games taking place on the first day of the work week with Steelers vs. Browns over on ABC.
New Orleans is looking to improve to 2-0 after enduring a 16-15 slugfest with Tennessee while Carolina hopes to rebound from a 24-10 defeat at the hands the Falcons. Before we check the odds on the Week 2 matchup, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
Panthers vs Saints
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| New Orleans Saints | -3.0 (-115) | -165 | Ov 40.0 (-112) |
| Carolina Panthers | +3.0 (-105) | +145 | Un 40.0 (-108) |
Bryce Young’s ugly NFL debut
Stuck with the worst wide receiver corps in the NFL, Bryce Young struggled in his pro debut. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft completed just 20-of-38 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in a 24-10 loss to Atlanta.
Young will continue to acquaint himself with the NFC South this week against a Saints defense that is considerably more formidable than his Week 1 opponent. New Orleans intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times and sacked him thrice in Sunday’s 16-15 win.
Bryce Young Career Pass Attempts: 4
Bryce Young Career INTs: 1pic.twitter.com/uxlSGWqAVU— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) September 10, 2023
Derek Carr’s debut
Derek Carr passed for 305 yards, a TD and a pick in his first action with the Saints. While he was sacked four times by Tennessee and pressured on over half of his dropbacks, the former Raider gutted out a win, hitting Raheed Shaheed for the game’s only touchdown in the third quarter.
With cornerback Jaycee Horn expected to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury, Carr should be able to exploit the Panthers secondary. Chris Olave made eight receptions for 112 yards in Week 1 while Michael Thomas caught five balls for 61 yards in an encouraging injury-free start to the former All-Pro’s season.
Carolina vs New Orleans
Carolina is a 3-point home underdog, and it’s hard to understand why the spread isn’t bigger to be honest. New Orleans defense looked stout versus the Titans and should have no trouble containing Adam Thielen and rookie Jonathan Mingo. Meanwhile, Frank Reich’s club was beat up on the ground in Week 1.
Still missing Alvin Kamara, the Saints won’t be able to emphasize the running game like Atlanta did. However, if their offensive line can hold up, they should have no trouble putting up points through the air against a Panthers defense missing its top corner.
Mic’d Up: Saints veteran QB Derek Carr tells WR Rashid Shaheed to run a go route to secure the victory.
Shaheed burns his defender and makes the catch to put the Titans away.👏pic.twitter.com/WdE3Bc5WB3
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) September 12, 2023
Best Bet
The Panthers won both games versus their NFC South foes last year, but Frank Reich’s team’s always struggle early in the season. We like the Saints to get off to a 2-0 start with an easy cover in Carolina in Week 2.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
