The New Orleans Saints have a lot going their way ahead of Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers. For one thing, the Panthers will be starting their third-string quarterback — Will Grier, a rookie out of West Virginia. On top of that, he’ll be without his best wide receiver (D.J. Moore, who was ruled out with a concussion) and a keystone piece on defense (linebacker Shaq Thompson, who is also injured). That makes for a tall order for Grier against a team with Super Bowl aspirations, despite the Saints’ own losses in the secondary (starting safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams, and number-two cornerback Eli Apple were ruled out).
According to the experts surveyed by NFL Pickwatch, Grier and the Panthers don’t have much a shot at upsetting Drew Brees and the Saints. 100% of the picks sampled from around the NFL media sphere are expecting the Saints to march out of Charlotte with a win, which is one of only two unanimous decisions of the week. The Green Bay Packers are also receiving 100% certainty in their chances at defeating the Detroit Lions.
A few other teams came close, such as the Kansas City Chiefs (98% over the Los Angeles Chargers), the New England Patriots (98% against the Miami Dolphins), and the Dallas Cowboys (95% versus the Washington Redskins). But on the whole, Week 17 is shaping up for a competitive slate of games. Here’s hoping the Saints beat the Panthers while the Seattle Seahawks beat the odds to overcome the San Francisco 49ers (who were picked to win by 73% in Seattle). It sure would help the Saints’ playoff standings.
