Who Has The Edge In The Playoffs, Saints or Panthers?

The season is over and the playoffs are set in stone.  It has been a wild ride and now it is time to settle in and begin assessing the playoff situation. One of the most interesting narratives heading into the playoffs is the story of the two NFC South rivals that find themselves making a post season run.

The question becomes who has the edge in the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints seem to be every sport pundits favorite team. In fact, it almost seems to bother them that the Carolina Panthers managed to edge out the Saints to take the NFC South. The odds at Bovada, on the other hand, give the Panthers the edge. The Panthers have 10/1 odds of winning the Super Bowl. That is the fifth best odds out of all the playoff contenders. The Saints odds sit at 25/1, which is third from the bottom.

There is no doubt that the Saints have a longer road in the playoffs as they have to compete in the Wildcard round thanks to being defeated by the Panthers in Week 16.  In Week 17, the Saints squad was no doubt hoping that the Dallas Cowboys could upset the Philadelphia Eagles. That did not happen. Now they have to take on an Eagles squad that has one of the top rushing offenses in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Saints run defense gives up nearly five yards a run on average.

It is not all doom and gloom for the Saints, though. The Eagles pass defense is last in the league. They gave up 4,636 yards through the air. That stat has Drew Brees and his receivers excited. 

If the Saints make it past the Eagles, then the Panthers will take on the winner of the Green Bay Packers–San Francisco 49ers game. Carolina has faced San Francisco already in the regular season and came out on top 10-9. It was a close game and one the Panthers likely do not want to replay. However, a matchup with the potent Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay Packers is no easy alternative either, especially for a team that has trouble defending the pass.

The Saints, if they defeat the Eagles, would have to go on to face the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks dominated the Saints in their regular season encounter 34-7.

In the end, both these teams are going to have a hard time making it out of the divisional playoffs and the odds are not in their favor. However, if you give the edge to any team, the Panther may have the easier road to victory, though still very hazardous.