The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers will play twice in the final three weeks of the regular season, starting on Monday Night Football in a critical game for both teams. It's an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. New Orleans (11-2) needs to keep winning to lock up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Panthers (6-7) are desperate to stop a five-game skid and remain alive in the NFL playoff picture. Sportsbooks list New Orleans as a 6-point favorite, with the over-under for total points scored set at 50 in the latest Saints vs. Panthers odds. Before you make any Saints vs. Panthers picks and predictions for Monday Night Football, see what NFL guru R.J. White has to say.
CBS Sports' NFL editor and SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert, White is 5-0 in his past five spread picks for or against Carolina. In Week 13, when he faded the Panthers (-3) at Tampa Bay, the Bucs won outright, 24-17.
Moreover, White is a stunning 38-14 in his last 52 point-spread picks overall, returning more than $2,200 to his followers in the past two months alone. This is the same expert who has cashed big in the Las Vegas SuperContest -- the world's most prestigious handicapping competition -- two of the past three years. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now White has spotted huge value on one side of the Panthers vs. Saints spread and locked in a strong pick for Monday Night Football. He's only sharing it at SportsLine.
White knows that with quarterback Drew Brees (75.7 completion percentage), running back Alvin Kamara (15 touchdowns) and wide receiver Michael Thomas (1,218 receiving yards) leading the way, the Saints are nearly impossible to defend. They should thrive against a Carolina defense that's been gashed for 25.5 points per game (24th in the NFL).
The Saints and Panthers met three times last season, with the Saints scoring between 31 and 34 points in each game, including 31 in the NFC Wild Card round.
But just because the Saints are prolific doesn't mean they'll cover the Monday Night Football spread versus the desperate Panthers.
White also knows Carolina is in the hunt for the second wild card spot in the NFC playoff picture, so motivation won't be an issue. With quarterback Cam Newton playing through a shoulder injury, the Panthers will rely heavily on do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey. He's scored 12 touchdowns in the past seven games and averages 5.2 yards per carry.
Newton has been prolific at home, accounting for 14 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He's thrown exactly two TDs in every home game except one and has continued to make defenses miss with his legs, rushing for an average of almost 40 yards in his last three games overall.
Four of the losses during Carolina's five-game skid have come on the road. At home, the Panthers are 5-1 with wins over the Cowboys and Ravens. Their only home loss was a 30-27 defeat to Seattle in which Carolina dominated the stat sheet. And in this NFC South rivalry, the underdog is 7-1 against the spread in the past eight meetings.
We can tell you White is leaning Under, but his much stronger play is on the side. White says a hidden X-factor has him going big on one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Saints vs. Panthers on Monday Night Football? And what hidden X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Panthers vs. Saints spread you need to jump on, all from the No. 1 expert who's nailed five straight spread picks involving the Panthers.
