NFL Football Betting: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks

By BetOnline September 19, 2019

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The New Orleans Saints know that they will be without Drew Brees for at least a few weeks and they have to find ways of surviving until then. That starts this week with a visit to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that’s won each of their first two games, but both by narrow margins. Will they stay perfect or will the Saints get a win?

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
NFL ODDS: SEAHAWKS -4.5
NFL TOTAL: 44.5

WHY THE SAINTS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Seahawks might be 2-0, but they are not a convincing 2-0. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals by one point at home, then played the Pittsburgh Steelers on a day when Pittsburgh lost Ben Roethlisberger late in the first half and won by only two. The Steelers are a good team if everyone is healthy, but without Big Ben, they are not a playoff team. Seattle’s inability to separate itself from the competition offers an indicator that even if the Seahawks win this game, it will be close – quite possibly by a field goal, which would enable the Saints to cover.

The other factor to consider here is that Teddy Bridgewater did not get practice reps with the first team a week ago. This week, with Brees out, it is clear that Bridgewater will have all the first-team reps he needs. This should improve the process of preparation for this game and help out the Saints’ offense. We might also see Taysom Hill under center if Bridgewater is not effective. At any rate, the Saints offense should be better prepared for this contest.

WHY THE SEAHAWKS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Seahawks have not won by large margins the first two weeks, but it’s still early in the season. They’re finding their feet and they’ve got away with two wins – including one in Pittsburgh. As we saw last season, this is a team that gets stronger as the season progresses.

The Seahawks passing game has been a strong-point early on, which is something they emphasized after relying too much on their ground game last season – especially in the playoffs. This past Sunday, Wilson threw the ball 35 times and had 300 passing yards and three touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver D.K. Metcalf looks like a find while Tyler Lockett and Will Drisly are also reliable targets.

The good news for Seattle here is the Saints run defense has been gashed big-time early on. They’ve allowed an average of 147.5 rushing yards per game, the sixth-worst mark. If Seattle is able to run the ball effectively with Chris Carson, they’re going to win.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE TOTAL

The Seahawks’ offense just isn’t consistent enough to be trusted, and without Drew Brees, the Saints’ offense is not likely to find its rhythm. Teddy Bridgewater did not look comfortable at all versus the Rams. This game will probably be a defensive slugfest – go with the under.