Lines, Odds, Picks and Preview |
The New Orleans Saints head out west to the Oakland County Coliseum for a preseason matchup with the Oakland Raiders this Sunday night. Game time is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
New Orleans rolled over another West Coast team in its first preseason game, when it beat San Francisco 24-3 as a 2.5-point home favorite. Last Saturday, it gave up 14 first-quarter points en route to a 27-14 loss to Houston as a 2.5-point road favorite. The total stayed ‘under’ the 35.5-point line against the 49ers, but went ‘over’ the 40.5-point line in last weekend’s game.
The Saints rolled up close to 140 yards on the ground against the 49ers and well over 200 yards through the air against the Texans so it appears to be ‘all systems go’ on offense. The area of concern is a defense that gave up close to 500 total yards to Houston, including 208 yards on the ground. This was one of New Orleans biggest problems last season as it finished the season ranked 16th against the run.
Oakland came into this preseason looking to build upon its first non-losing season since 2002. The Raiders have stumbled out of the gate so far with a 24-18 loss to Arizona as a 3.5-point home favorite in a game that went ‘over’ the 33-point total. They followed this up with an ugly 17-3 loss to San Francisco as a 2.5-point road underdog last Saturday. The total stayed ‘under’ the 34.5-point line.
To add injury to insult, quarterback Jason Campbell had to leave the 49ers game after taking a knee to the head. Fortunately he appears to be okay and is expected to be ready to go by Sunday night. The other good news for the Raiders is the return of Darren McFadden, Jacoby Ford, and Taiwan Ford to the practice field after all three missed some time nursing minor injuries.
This influx of speed back into Oakland’s’ lineup could present some matchup problems for the Saints. With the starters for both teams expected to play into the second half, stick with the home team plus the 4.5 points, as the Raiders need a win in this game far more than the New Orleans does.
The Pick: Oakland 24 New Orleans 21
