Panthers vs. Saints: Updated Odds, TV Info and Prediction for Wild-Card Game

The wait for the final game of Wild-Card Weektend should be worth it as NFC South foes New Orleans and Carolina square off at the Superdome on Sunday afternoon.

The Saints had the upper hand over the Panthers in the regular season, but they have the unenviable task of completing the three-game sweep in the postseason. 

Both teams enter the playoffs off Week 17 defeats that led to the Saints clinching the division title and the Panthers slotting into the No. 5 seed in the NFC. 

The Saints are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013, when they knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round, while the Panthers return for the first time since their Super Bowl defeat in 2015 to the Denver Broncos. 

Date: Sunday, January 7

Time: 4:40 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Odds: New Orleans (-7); Over/Under: 47.5

Kamara Looking to Play Bigger Role

Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara has been phenomenal this season, but he could step his game up another notch in the postseason. 

Kamara, who returned a kickoff 106 yards in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is expected to see more time on special teams as the Saints try to gain any advantage possible over their opponents. 

The 22-year-old started to transition back into the role in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, but it wasn't until last Sunday when his team reaped the benefits of the move. 

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Expect to see the Tennessee product back on returns even more in the postseason, as he tries to take advantage of what his coaches believe is great blocking. Saints special teams coach Mike Westhoff went into more detail on the switch with Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune. 

"It's been pretty obvious that our blocking is pretty good. I think it's very good," Westhoff said. "And we just realized that we needed kind of a more quintessential kickoff returner that's more of a running back that sees it a little more than what we had."

Kamara averaged 31.5 yards on 11 returns in the regular season, with his 106-yard scamper into the end zone in Week 17 ballooning that number. 

Even if he doesn't score, Kamara could use a long return to set the Saints offense up with short field to switch the momentum of the game in a heartbeat. If Panthers kicker Graham Gano doesn't allow him to return the ball, Kamara will try to be a menace to the Carolina defense like he was in Week 12, when he recorded 126 total yards. 

Panthers Receivers Ready for Difficult Test

Not only does New Orleans have a dominant rookie on offense in Kamara, they possess a leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year in cornerback Marshon Lattimore. 

In order for the Panthers to have any chance of knocking off the Saints for the first time this season, they must find a way to beat Lattimore in coverage. 

Wide receiver Devin Funchess totaled 118 yards on eight receptions in the two meetings with the Saints. He's expected to see plenty of Lattimore on Sunday, and that's a challenge he's willing to embrace, per Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. 

“It’s going to be fun. He plays his game; I play my game,” Funchess said. “They’ve got 10 other people on the field, too, that have to play their game, too. Like I said, it’s going to be fun on Sunday. What time do we play? Just be in for the show.”

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

One way the Panthers can get Funchess and Russell Shepard open is by utilizing running back Christian McCaffery in the passing game like they did in Week 3. 

In the 34-13 loss, McCaffery caught nine of his 11 targets for 101 yards, but he was limited in Week 12 with five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. 

If quarterback Cam Newton is able to locate McCaffery early in the contest, the Panthers receivers may see more one-on-one coverage as the Saints try to shut down the rookie out of Stanford. 

Whatever the Panthers choose to do through the air, Newton has to be mindful of where he's throwing the ball. In Week 3, the Saints intercepted him on three occasions, and he's coming off another three-interception game in Week 17 against the Falcons. 

Brees Shouldn't Be Forced to Carry the Load 

Unlike most seasons throughout his career, Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn't have to do everything by himself in order for his team to come out on top. 

Brees, who threw for 4,334 yards in the regular season, has one 300-yard passing game dating back to Week 8.

However, the 38-year-old signal-caller was consistent over the final seven weeks of the regular season, as he eclipsed the 200-yard barrier on every occasion. 

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In Weeks 12 through 17, Kamara and Mark Ingram combined for at least 75 yards on the ground in five of six games, with the lone exception being the Week 14 game in Atlanta in which Kamara left early with an injury. 

Ingram's load was also lighter during November and December, as he carried the ball an average of 12.5 times, while Kamara only reached double digits in carries twice in Weeks 15 and 16. 

With Ingram as fresh as he can be for this time of year and Kamara providing a dynamic impact in both aspects of the offensive game plan, Brees may only have to throw for between 200 and 250 yards for the Saints to win.

Of course, if the pair of running backs get in trouble, Brees would have no problem gashing the Carolina secondary. The veteran quarterback has thrown for over 300 yards in six of his 11 career playoff games. 

Prediction: Saints 21, Panthers 17

The third meeting between the Saints and Panthers will be closer than many think due to the familiarity between the teams, but New Orleans just has too many weapons on offense for Carolina to contain.  

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NFL.com and Pro Football Reference. 

Odds obtained from OddsShark.com.