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Sunday will mark the third meeting between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers this season, as the pair of NFC South rivals meet inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with a spot in the divisional round on the line.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on FOX. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch on your computer or on another streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch today’s game at no cost:
FuboTV: Fox (live in 70-plus markets) is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package, which is $19.99 per month for the first two months and $39.99 per month after that. It comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app
DirecTV Now: Fox (live in 39 markets) is included in all four channel packages, ranging from $35 to $70 per month. It comes with a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get $25 off your first month if you enter promo code “BDAY2017”. You can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: Fox (live in 17 markets) is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package for $25 per month. It comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via your browser, or on your tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
Watching on Your Phone: If you want to watch the game on your mobile device, you can do so via either the NFL Mobile app or Yahoo Sports app, which are both free to download from both the App Store and the Google Play Store
Preview
Though these teams both finished the season at 11-5, they didn’t look all that evenly matched during their two head-to-head meetings. The Saints went 2-0 in those matchups, out-scoring the Panthers, 65-34, and out-gaining them, 762-465.
Still, the Panthers aren’t reading too much into those losses.
“This is when real football starts,” said Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. “(We’re) explaining it to the young guys and the guys who haven’t witnessed playoff football. This is where you are made or broke. I look forward to these types of moments because it brings out the best in individuals because there is so much pressure. We all know what they say about pressure — it does one of two things — and we’re hoping to shine like diamonds.”
For the Panthers–who are seven-point underdogs–to pull off the upset, they’ll need to have success in the running game. Over the last nine games, a span in which they went 7-2, they averaged 157.9 rushing yards per game–and in the six games on the year in which they hit at least 140 yards on the ground, they went 6-0. Not only are the Saints beatable in that area–they were 27th in the NFL in yards per carry allowed and 23rd in Football Outsiders’ run defense efficiency ratings–but having success in that aspect would mean less time with the ball for the Saints’ explosive offense.
So, that’s the recipe for success, but it’s obviously much easier said than done, as the Panthers have found out twice this season. The Saints have weapons all over the field on offense, they take care of the ball, they have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL, and they can get after the quarterback. They are as complete of a team as it gets, and they have one of the most reliable players in the NFL under center. There’s a reason most are predicting them to at least get to the NFC championship.
Ultimately, though, even though the Saints stand as significant favorites, this should still be a highly entertaining game to cap off wild-card weekend.