Panthers vs. Saints Week 1: Can Bryce Young Lead Carolina to an Upset?

The Carolina Panthers are opening their season on the road against the New Orleans Saints. 2024 and the Bryce Young Redemption Tour begin here. It’s also Year 1 of the Dave Canales Experiment. The question of whether or not sheer will and self-belief can spur a team to being competitive is about to be answered.

This offseason has featured a more quiet positivity as compared to last year’s PR train jamming confidence and supreme competence on every air wave. Whether or not that will translate to a different result on the field is something we get to start learning about in just a few minutes.

I’m tempering my expectations for today. It’s always hard to draw conclusions off of one game. I’m just hoping we get to see that first Young to Xavier Legette connection. That could be the birth of a special relationship.

The Carolina Panthers look to improve under new coach Dave Canales as they match up against NFC South Division rival, the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. Carolina dismissed first-year coach Frank Reich after a 1-10 start, before finishing 2-15 in 2023. New Orleans went 9-8, tying for the division lead, but losing the tiebreaker and a playoff spot to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints won both meetings last season, 20-17 and 28-6, and look to defend their home turf on Sunday.

Kickoff from the Caesars Superdome is set for 1:00 p.m. ET. New Orleans is a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Panthers vs. Saints odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is 41.5. Before making any Saints vs. Panthers picks of your own, you need to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 181-129 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 35-21 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

Now, the model has set its sights on Saints vs. Panthers and just locked in its picks and NFL Week 1 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for spread, money line and over/under:

Bryce Young's Second Season

Dave Canales takes over the reigns in Carolina and looks to help Bryce Young take a step forward in Year 2 of his NFL career. As a rookie, Young struggled mightily, throwing for only 2,877 yards in 16 games, will 11 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. He must improve his sub-60% completion rate for Carolina to succeed in 2024.

Young has a few new wide receivers at his disposal: former Steeler Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette. Johnson is a steady slot receiver who posted a career high 1,161 yards in 2021 for Pittsburgh. Legette is a 6-foot-3 rookie from South Carolina who the Panthers took with the last pick of the first round in April's NFL Draft. If Young can succeed against a tough New Orleans defense, Carolina may turn some heads and potentially upset the Saints. See which team to pick here.

Saints Offense

New Orleans' offense relies heavily on the success of running back Alvin Kamara, who missed the first four games of the 2023 season due to a suspension. Once he returned, Kamara combined for more than 1,100 rushing and receiving yards and scored six times. He's effective in the run game as well as through the air and should be a primary target for quarterback Derek Carr.

Carr battled injuries last season but started all 17 games, throwing for nearly 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns. His top target is wide receiver Chris Olave, who caught 87 of his 138 targets last season. While he has topped the 1,000 yard mark in both of his NFL seasons, Olave could be due for a big jump in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense if his efficiency improves. See which team to pick here.

The model has simulated Carolina vs. New Orleans 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits over 70% of the time. You can only see the model's Saints vs. Panthers pick at SportsLine.

Will The Panthers Surprise the Saints?

The Carolina Panthers are ready to turn the page on last season and write a new chapter under head coach Dave Canales as they face division rivals, the New Orleans Saints, this Sunday. After a tough 2023 campaign, where the Panthers finished 2-15, fans are eager to see what Canales can do to revitalize this team.

With Bryce Young entering his second season and new weapons like WR Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette in the mix, The Panthers are primed to surprise everyone and make a strong statement in this Week 1 NFC South showdown.

The Saints may have won both meetings last season, but this is a whole new Panthers team with renewed energy and direction. New Orleans finished 9-8 last year, just missing the playoffs, but with Carolina coming to town hungry for redemption, they might just catch the Saints off guard.

Panthers fans, buckle up, it’s time to see the new-look Carolina squad in action, and there’s no better way to kick off the season than by taking down a division rival! Tune in at 1:00 p.m. ET from the Caesars Superdome and watch the Panthers make their mark!