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It’s the end of a wild Week 2 around the National Football League and fans get a special treat with a doubleheader to put a bow on the second week of the season.
The first game of that two-game set Monday night comes down in Charlotte, North Carolina where the Carolina Panthers (0-1) welcome in the New Orleans Saints (1-0) for an NFC South clash. The game starts at 7:15 ET and can be seen on ESPN.
Monday Night Football betting splits
Saints vs. Panthers
Spread: Saints -3
This spread makes a lot of sense for many reasons. The biggest of which is because of who’s playing under center for both teams. The Panthers have Bryce Young, who no doubt will be a tremendous talent in the NFL, but is playing just his second NFL game and he struggled in his debut, tossing for under 150 yards and two picks in a 24-10 loss to the Falcons.
New Orleans has a steady veteran presence in Derek Carr, who may not have as high a ceiling as Young, but has played at a high level for years. He made clutch plays down the stretch and tossed for over 300 yards in New Orleans’ Week 1 win over the Titans.
The betting public seems to agree, with 76% of the handle and 81% of the overall bets going on New Orleans to cover.
Over/Under: 39.5
That seems like a pretty low point total, and it kind of is. After all, these teams combined to score just 26 points in Week 1, so bettors aren’t exactly expecting a fireworks show for this matchup.
The public is pretty split on this one. The over is getting 60% of the handle and 53% of the overall bets while the under is clocking in with 40% of the handle and 44% of the total bets.
Moneyline: Saints (-162) Panthers (+136)
It’s rare for a team to come into an early-season game as a road favorite on both the spread and the money line, but the Saints are doing exactly that. A large part of it has to do with Young’s inexperience, sure. But the bigger issue is that even if Young does have a coming-out party on Monday, one player does not make the team.
But, it must be pointed out, that the Panthers took down the Saints twice in 2022, both at home and on the road.
The public doesn’t seem to care about that, though. The Saints moneyline is getting 79% of the handle and 83% of the bets. The Panthers are getting 21% of the handle and just 17% of the total bets.