NFL Week 13 Top Matchups: Odds for Panthers-Saints, Vikings-Falcons
The New Orleans Saints (8-3) failed in their attempt to extend their eight-game winning streak last week in a 26-20 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the first time they closed as underdogs since Week 3.
The Saints get a chance to rebound versus the team they started their winning streak against with higher stakes on the line this time. New Orleans will host the Carolina Panthers (8-3) on Sunday, and they are listed as 4-point betting favorites for the game at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com as they look to sweep the season series.
The Panthers were 5.5-point home favorites when they lost the first meeting 34-13, falling to 0-4-1 against the spread in the last five games between the teams, according to the OddsShark NFL Database. Carolina is coming off a 35-27 win over the New York Jets last week, the team’s fourth straight victory to tie for the lead in the division.
In that first meeting, quarterback Drew Brees threw for 220 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Saints against what was the league’s top defense at the time. Meanwhile, counterpart Cam Newton was on the opposite side of the spectrum for the Panthers with no scores through the air and three picks while rushing for one touchdown. New Orleans also outgained Carolina in rushing yards with a 149-132 edge.
Another key matchup on Sunday featuring an NFC South team will see the Atlanta Falcons (7-4) host the Minnesota Vikings (9-2) as 3-point home favorites on the Week 13 odds. The defending NFC champion Falcons have started to play much better lately offensively, averaging nearly 32 points during a three-game winning streak since dropping four of five.
The Vikings are riding a seven-game winning streak into Atlanta behind quarterback Case Keenum, and they are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games played during the month of December. Minnesota is hoping to close strong and earn one of the top two seeds in the conference, something that helped Atlanta host the NFC Championship Game last year.
Surprisingly, the favorite in this series is just 1-3 straight up and 0-3-1 ATS in the past four meetings dating back to 2011. The Vikings have won the past two SU and ATS.
