I’m not one to pat myself on the back, but I might just be the king of underdogs. No big deal.
I gave you the New York Giants to upset the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 at +205, and then I gave you the New York Jets at +210 to beat the Cleveland Browns last week. Sure, I needed two late comebacks to win those bets, but nonetheless we’re 2-0 in upset picks this season.
The first two weeks, I gave you two underdogs whose odds were set at least at +200. If I followed that this week, my options would be pretty limited with only three options. So, forgive me, but my Week 3 upset pick won’t be quite as aggressive.
Regardless, we have a chance to go 3-0. This time around, I’m going to back the Carolina Panthers to upset the New Orleans Saints in an NFC South showdown.
Panthers +135 vs. Saints
According to Betstamp, the best price to wager on the Panthers to win outright is at Caesers Sportsbook.
I think now is the time to buy low on the Panthers. Despite being 0-2, they played the first two games relatively well. Their defense, in particular, has been stout through the first two weeks.
Here is where their defense ranks in several stats heading into Week 3:
- Opponent yards per play: 4th
- Opponent yards per pass attempt: 1st
- Red zone defense: 4th
- Opponent completion percentage: 8th
- Opponent points per play: 12th
Those are some pretty solid numbers. Specifically, their pass defense has been the best through the first two weeks. Granted, they’ve faced Jacoby Brissett and Daniel Jones, but the point still stands.
Now, they face a Saints offense that had an abysmal performance against the Buccaneers. They’re only converting 30.77% of their third downs, and Jameis Winston is playing with a broken back. The fact that they have to play against another solid defense in the Panthers, isn’t exactly a recipe for success for New Orleans.
As far as their offense goes, I think it’s better than what they’ve shown us so far. Baker Mayfield has been a hot and cold quarterback throughout his career, and it’s about time he has a strong performance for the Panthers.
Carolina is certainly no playoff team, but they’re better than they’ve shown in Week 1 and Week 2. It’s time to buy low on this squad, and bet on them to upset the Saints on Sunday.