At the time of this writing, the board is New Orleans Saints +3.5 (2.14, +114) and Green Bay Packers -3.5 (1.81, -123)
Saints are 4-1 ATS mark as a road underdog of 3.5 to 10 points, while the Packers are 2-5 on Thursdays.
New Orleans is just two years removed from winning the Super Bowl and will be looking to knock off last year’s champion on opening night. The Saints also have experienced playing in the season opener, winning a 14-9 contest over the Minnesota Vikings last year in this same exact situation. “We’ve experienced that from a home aspect standpoint,” Saints head coach Sean Payton stated. “That first game always has added excitement.” The team finished with an 11-5 regular-season record and returned to the playoffs in 2010, only to be handed an embarrassing road loss to the Seattle Seahawks during the Wild Card round. New Orleans is 2-2 ATS as an underdog the last three years.
The Saints can definitely score points, averaging 26.9 points a contest over the past five years, which is third among all NFL teams. It’s the other side of the ball that gets lost in the discussion, as the defense finished No. 1 in the NFC and fourth in the league in total defense a year ago. Quarterback Drew Brees is still worthy of all the attention, throwing for 4,620 yards a season ago. He also led the charge of having his team workout with each other during the lockout period.
Continued:
NFL Bets
09-08-2011, 10:41 AM
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