NFL football betting season is underway and the first full week of preseason action starts tonight as the New Orleans Saints play the New England Patriots. We've got the full analysis and betting selection. Make Oddsbay your home for the best NFL handicapping information all season long!
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS—4:30 PM PACIFIC
The first full week of preseason NFL betting action gets underway on Thursday as the Superbowl Champion New Orleans Saints travel north to take on the New England Patriots. It’s been a big week for the Saints already and that’s one of the primary reasons we’re going to look to play against them here. But more about that in a moment—the Patriots were not only eliminated from the AFC playoffs when Baltimore beat them they were humiliated and in front of their home fans no less. We expect a strong effort from New England out of the gate, and we’ve got one of the best preseason coaches in the league pushing the buttons. Not surprisingly, Bill Bilichick expects his teams to play hard and compete for the win any time they line ‘em up and his preseason record reflects that mentality—34-23 SU and 33-22-1 against the pointspread.
New Orleans couldn’t have had a better finish to the 2009 season, of course, upsetting the Indianapolis Colts to win the Superbowl. And while we expect them to be ready to play when the games start to count, they may not be as far along in the preparation process as the Pats. New England’s veterans reported to training camp a day before New Orleans’ camp opened, and the Pats rookies had been in camp three days earlier. Due to the nasty heat and humidity in Southern Louisiana, the Saints spent their first six practices indoors.
There’s nothing that is worse for a team’s mental preparation and intensity heading into a contest than hearing how wonderful you are, and that’s exactly the mindset the Saints are in. Before heading on to the Boston area for this game they made a stop in Washington, DC for the obligatory Barack Obama photo op with the Superbowl champs. Add it all up and you’ve got a team that may not be as far along in their preparation to play football making a long trip and with the distraction of a White House visit. Compounding everything, they’ll be facing a pissed off Patriots team under a coach that takes preseason football as seriously as anyone.
Going against the Superbowl Champion in the early regular season is usually a very strong handicapping concept, but it hasn’t been as successful in the preseason. Still, the situational setup for this game is just too good to pass up. You know Bilichick will have his team ready to play and focused, while due to the weather and the ceremonial duties of being Superbowl champion it’s hard to see the Saints being mentally and physically ready for NFL action here.
PLAY NEW ENGLAND -1’ OVER NEW ORLEANS
Free Sports Picks
Rate this article