First place in the NFC South will be on the line this weekend as the New Orleans Saints play host to the Carolina Panthers as 4-point favourites on the NFL Week 13 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Carolina is coming off a 35-27 win over the New York Jets as 5.5-point road chalk last weekend to extend its current straight-up win streak to four games and pull level with New Orleans atop the NFC South standings ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Panthers vs. Saints betting matchup at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The 8-3 Panthers have averaged 40 points per game over their past two outings, and have posted outright wins as betting underdogs four times this season.
New Orleans returns home following a 26-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams as 2.5-point underdogs that halted its longest straight-up winning streak since 2011. The Saints stormed to the top of the division during an 8-0 SU and 6-2 against-the-spread run that also lifted them among the favourites on the Super Bowl odds at +800, but they slipped to +1200 following last week’s loss.
The Saints matched a franchise record for points scored with a 52-38 win over Detroit as 6-point home chalk back in Week 5, and also ran up the score in a 34-13 victory in Carolina as 5.5-point underdogs in Week 3, but are 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five home meetings with the Panthers.
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Eagles can clinch their first NFC East division title since 2013 with a win when they visit Seattle on Sunday night as 5-point betting favourites.
With an NFL-best 10-1 SU record, the Eagles now trail only New England at +350 on the Super Bowl odds. Conversely, Seattle has failed to record consecutive wins during a 2-2 SU run and has dropped two straight on home turf, including a 34-31 loss to Atlanta in a pick ’em two weeks ago.
Over in the AFC West, the 5-6 Oakland Raiders try to keep pace with first-place Kansas City as they battle the New York Giants as 7.5-point home chalk. Oakland is on a disappointing 3-6 SU run but will not have to face Giants pivot Eli Manning as he will sit this weekend in favour of veteran Geno Smith after failing to throw a scoring pass in his last two outings.
The 5-6 Los Angeles Chargers will also attempt to stay in the playoff hunt with a third straight SU victory as they host the winless Cleveland Browns as 13.5-point favourites, while the 6-5 Chiefs try to halt a three-game SU slide as they visit the Jets as 3-point chalk.
For more info, picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the new OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes, or check it out at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
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