Normally, a two-win team would be an afterthought in a Week 1 pairing, but in the 2024 season, the Panthers may hold more promise than the less-than-average Saints on paper. However, the NFC South, where both teams reside, is a weak division, and the Saints are home favorites.

It’s season two of the Bryce Young era for the Panthers. Any honeymoons he got to take are over. As a rookie, he completed less than 60 percent of his passes and had an 11-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Young will be up against an improved, but still average Saints defense. That could be what he and young receivers Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette need to get to the end zone.

It’s also season one for Carolina’s Dave Canales, who takes over in his debut as head coach. Canales is a protégé of Pete Carroll. In his one season as OC, Canales had mixed results and has never coached a young quarterback. The Panthers are relying on a rookie coach to mix young, skilled players into the offense.

Someone told the Saints it was a good idea to pin their hopes on veteran quarterback Derek Carr, a Raiders castoff with one playoff appearance (a loss) on his 10-year NFL resume. The 33-year-old is serviceable and unlikely to make mistakes, but he’s also nearly a decade removed from his only season of 30-plus touchdown passes. His targets in New Orleans will be wide receiver Chris Olave (1,123 yards on 87 catches in 2023) and diminutive wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.

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Carolina Panthers Odds Against New Orleans Saints

How to watch Panthers vs. Saints

• Location: Caesars Superdome — New Orleans
• Time: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday
• TV: FOX
• Streaming: Watch Live on Fubo (Save $30)

Expert Picks for Panthers vs. Saints

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(Photo of Chris Olave and Derek Carr: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)