The New Orleans Saints got off to a rough start to the 2012 NFL regular season last week after an off-season filled with turmoil and scandal. The consensus around the league was that Drew Brees and company would have smooth start to the year with the lowly Washington Redskins on their schedule in Week 1 and a rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III leading the pack.

Unfortunately, the Saints stumbled right out of the gate with Griffin playing much better than anyone anticipated. The reigning Heisman trophy winner out of Baylor absolutely torched the Saints’ secondary all day long and led Washington to 40-32 victory over New Orleans.

After the disappointing loss in Week 1, the Saints will have a chance to bounce back in Week 2 going head-to-head against the division rival Carolina Panthers. Even though the Panthers are seemingly a team on the rise with up-and-comer Cam Newton leading the way, Carolina also struggled in the first week of the season losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With this being a crucial division matchup, the Saints will need to come out on top in this showdown with the Panthers. As if getting off to a 0-2 start isn’t bad enough, a loss to the Panthers could seriously hurt the Saints’ chances of winning to the NFC South division title.

After an underwhelming performance against the Bucs last week, the Panthers don’t look like the same team in comparison to last season. With that being said, the Saints might be able to take advantage in order to get their first win.

As of right now, New Orleans is favored to come out on top with a -3 point spread. This spread is extremely favorable for anyone willing to bet on the Saints.

Take the Saints at -3.

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