The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers are on a collision course, with Week 12’s game in the Mercedes Benz-Superdome carrying huge implications for both teams. If the Saints win, they’ll inch a little closer to competing for the top NFC playoff seed. But if the Saints lose, they’ll open the window a little wider for the Panthers to claw their way back into playoff contention.
Per the expert picks surveyed by NFL Pickwatch, the Saints are again the unanimous pick. And New Orleans is the only team to receive 100% of votes this week; the next-closest teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers (99% of votes picking them over the Cincinnati Bengals) and the Cleveland Browns (96% to beat the Miami Dolphins).
This is the third consecutive week in which the Saints are seen as surefire victors. 100% of expert picks came in for them to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday (which they did) and a week earlier against the Atlanta Falcons (which, well, didn’t happen). So obviously being favored by experts doesn’t guarantee a win.
That same Falcons team upset the Saints and the Panthers (beating them 29-3, intercepting Kyle Allen four times and sacking him five times) in subsequent weeks, further clouding this week’s result. If the Saints win their next two games and the Panthers lose their next two, New Orleans will clinch their third consecutive division title. But that could be easier said than done in the always-wild NFC South.
