NFL Week 5 teaser: Panthers, Saints trending in right direction

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We lost the San Francisco 49ers leg of our teaser last week - cheers, Nick Mullens - so we're out for blood in Week 5.

Here's what we've got for this weekend.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons

Line: Panthers +2.5

Teaser line: Panthers +8.5

These NFC South rivals entered the season with vastly differing public expectations, and everything we've seen from each thus far has gone against the grain. The Panthers are rolling on both sides of the ball, winning two in a row, while the Falcons are still putting up a goose egg in the win column.

Atlanta's offense has been maddening, running more often than 30 other teams on first and second down despite all of its pass-catching weapons. Matt Ryan has been pedestrian, and Dan Quinn's coaching leaves plenty to be desired. It's fair to say Quinn's days are numbered in Atlanta, and his players appear to have thrown in the towel.

Matt Rhule, meanwhile, has done an immaculate job early in his first year with the Panthers. Teddy Bridgewater is on pace for 4,588 yards, which would crush his previous career high of 3,231. Robby Anderson looks like the player the New York Jets always longed for him to be, and Mike Davis continues to adequately fill the enormous shoes of the injured Christian McCaffrey. The Falcons have allowed opposing running backs to record 35 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns through four weeks, and there's little the Panthers love more than targeting their running backs, which means Davis should eat on Sunday.

Yetur Gross-Matos and Derrick Brown have transformed Carolina's defensive front and will do their part to disrupt Ryan, who will likely be without Julio Jones.

Los Angeles Chargers @ New Orleans Saints

Line: Saints -7.5

Teaser line: Saints -1.5

While the Chargers are being ravaged by injuries, the Saints are only getting healthier. Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams joined a long list of injured Chargers, making life increasingly difficult on rookie Justin Herbert. The Saints, meanwhile, had Michael Thomas, Jared Cook, Marshon Lattimore, Andrus Peat, and Marcus Davenport back at practice in a limited capacity Thursday, with some - if not all - trending toward returning this week.

Despite virtually no contribution from Thomas yet this season, the Saints still rank 11th in the NFL in yards per play. The Chargers are 18th in yards allowed per day at 5.7, but they're trending in the wrong direction after giving up 6.6 in Week 4's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Herbert is playing well, but this is a tough ask against a Saints team that looks to be turning a corner. He'll have to play above his head to give Los Angeles a chance, and though it's possible he's able to do enough to cover the spread, we feel comfortable getting the Saints at -1.5. New Orleans, with all of its weapons on offense and key contributors back in the lineup, will have too much for a Chargers team that has lost five in a row on Monday night.

Full teaser: Panthers +8.5, Saints -1.5 ($110 to win $100)

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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