Saints Over / Under Season Wins
After a disappointing 2012 campaign, the New Orleans Saints bounced back to go 11-5 last year, sneaking into the playoffs as one of the two NFC Wild Card teams.
Over Under Lines
2013 Record: 11–5 (2nd in NFC South)
New Orleans Saints o9.5 (-175) u9.5 (+145)
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
However, after recording their first ever road playoff win at Philadelphia, the Saints would lose the following week at Seattle 15-23.
It was not the perfect ending for head coach Sean Payton, who returned from a year long suspension, but it was the fourth time in five seasons that New Orleans had made it the postseason.
A big reason the Saints won their division title last year, was their defense, which was a big question mark last year heading into the season.
However, the Saints’ defense was a huge surprise, as they showed massive improvement under fist year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s direction. The New Orleans’ defense went from ranking 32nd in total defense and 31st in scoring defense in 2012, to finishing 4th in both categories in 2013.
CLICK to GRAB OUR BEST Expert Sports & Football Picks for 2014 GAMBLING!
The team also ranked 4th in the NFL in total offense at 399.4 ypg, with most of that coming from their 2nd ranked passing attack (307.4 ypg), fueled by quarterback Drew Brees, who is coming off a 5,000-plus yard passing mark for a 3rd consecutive season in 2013, with 5,162 yards and 39 touchdowns to just 12 picks.
All of that, thanks in large part to a strong offensive line, who will start the 2014 campaign without starting center Brian de la Puente. The Saints do have some strong replacements however, which should be able to step in and get the job done.
[soliloquy id=”82219″]
One area of concern for the Saints offense though is their running game. New Orleans ranked just 25th in the league last year with 92.1 ypg, but will return their top two rushers from 2013.
Finally, Brees will again have an all star receiving corps to throw to, which includes star tight end Jimmy Graham, who caught 86 passes for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2103.
It shouldn’t be hard to match last year’s scoring pace of 25.9 ppg, which was the 10th best mark in the league.
Back on the defensive side of the ball, New Orleans will return projected starting outside linebacker Victor Butler, who was sideline last year with a torn ACL.
Getting him back gives the Saints a solid core in the middle of the field.
Up front will be rookie 360-pound nose tackle John Jenkins, who will look to put together an even stronger sophomore season, and at the back New Orleans went out and signed free agent safety Jarius Byrd, who should form quite a combo in the defensive backfield with veteran corner Champ Bailey.
Matt’s Free Prediction — OVER
There’s a lot to be excited about the Saints going into the new season, as they should be be able to score points at will, as well as keeping opponents off the board with an improved defense.
I like their chances of winning the NFC South, and actually having a legit shot at winning the Super Bowl with a 12-4 record to end the season.
The 2014/15 NFL futures betting season is here in full force! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting.
