Panthers at Saints: NFL Wild Card Playoffs

NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 03: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints and Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers greet after a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 03: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints and Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers greet after a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 3, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Carolina Panthers visit New Orleans to finish out wild card weekend…

Twice already New Orleans has defeated the Carolina Panthers. Fortunately, when both teams take to the field on Sunday, neither one of those two previous encounters matter. The Saints won both meetings by double digits, but this is the playoffs.

Left out of post season play last year, both Carolina and New Orleans have youthful rosters ready to contribute. Having key players in important positions, Panthers veterans Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers are available to account for a highly ranked defense.

Offensively, Carolina will line up tight end Greg Olsen for the first time this season against the Saints, in addition to having center Ryan Kalil available. Neither played in either of the earlier contests, but both could impact this game’s outcome with New Orleans.

Following is your one stop access for news and information regarding the Saints and Panthers on Sunday.

Panthers Preview, Predictions and How to Watch

How to watch, history, one key matchup, odds and a final score prediction for the Panthers first playoff game since the 2015 Super Bowl season.

Expert Picks

National media outlets all project the same winner for Sunday’s wild card playoff game.

More from Cat Crave

Injury Report

Guard Trai Turner has missed three straight games with a concussion but is expected to play on Sunday. His presence up front will be an added boost for quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers offense.

Ron Rivera Extension

Panthers coach Ron Rivera signed a two year extension with the franchise amid a pending sale and new ownership.

Odds Against Carolina

According to the numbers, none of the factors associated with winning the football game favor Carolina. Losing twice already and having to travel for a third meeting, the Panthers are heavy underdogs despite winning 11 games this season.

Podcast Preview

Listen to a preview of the upcoming Panthers at Saints playoff matchup with members of Cat Crave and FanSided sister site Who Dat Dish, covering everything New Orleans Saints related.

Next: Veterans Provide Playoff Advantage

Losing twice to the Saints during regular season play doesn’t matter now. The three other losses and even all 11 wins have been rendered meaningless. For playoff purposes, both the Saints and Panthers are 0-0 and need only to win on Sunday in order to extend their season.