Panthers vs. Saints Week 1 Opening Odds Show Little Faith in Bryce Young

The Panthers' schedule for the 2024-25 season has officially been released as Carolina tries to improve from a disastrous 2-15 campaign last year.

They'll start on the road in New Orleans for an early NFC South test and opening odds indicate the Panthers are likely to get off to a slow start. Carolina dropped both games to the Saints last season though won each in the year before that, so oddsmakers may be underestimating Dave Canales' squad.

Have a look at the odds below as we look forward to the new season.

Panthers vs. Saints Week 1 Odds Underestimate Carolina

The Panthers are 4.5-point underdogs with +180 odds on the moneyline ($10 to profit $18) and the total set at 40.5. Oddsmakers thus expect a low-scoring game with the Saints ultimately winning.

Sportsbooks have good reason to think this'll be a defensive slugfest. Each of the last seven games between these division rivals had 40 total points or fewer, with New Orleans winning four of those contests.

While it makes sense that Carolina is an underdog, 4.5 points is steep considering the improvements the roster made. Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette, Jonathon Brooks, and Ja'Tavion Sanders were all added to the offense, while New Orleans made no major offseason additions.

This is a perfect opportunity for Canales and the new-look team to show how much better they are than a year ago, and I can think of no better upset to start the campaign than one over the Saints. Bryce Young has a legitimate supporting cast around him now and I believe he'll deliver on the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.

We've got several months to go before the season gets underway, but I like the value on the Panthers here early.

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