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Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints
Superdome – New Orleans, LA
Sunday September 25 – 1:00PM on CBS
Spread (ATS): New Orleans -4
Moneyline: Saints -200, Texans +165
Over/Under: 53
Odds courtesy of BetOnline
Houston Texans
This is a big one for the Houston Texans. They have won their first two games easily against Indianapolis and Miami and It is looking more and more that they might be the team to beat in the AFC South. But if they want to be considered among the true contenders at some point they have to beat one. If they could win at New Orleans this week not only would they be 3-0 but they would have made a huge statement to the rest of the league.
Over the course of two games it appears that new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has whipped the Texan’s defense into shape. If that is the case we will find out this week as New Orleans has one of the most prolific attacks in the league. My guess is that the defense will spring a few more leaks than we have seen so far. On the offensive side it has been interesting to see backup Ben Tate slide in for Arian Foster without the team skipping a beat.
Houston has only had one previous venture to New Orleans, a loss back in 2003. The team is much better now and poised to take advantage of Peyton Manning’s injury and the sudden demise of the Colts. This is a very good offensive team that should challenge New Orleans but I think it might be too much to count on them overtaking them. Still they should have a chance to threaten late.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans was right there at the end of their loss against Green Bay so it would have not been surprising if they had a bit of a hangover against Chicago. Instead they returned home and dominated the Bears, confirming that they are among the elite in the NFC. This team has made some changes and I think they will get continue to get better as the season progresses.
Even though they weren’t operating with a full compliment on offense it didn’t seem to slow the Saints down much last week against Chicago. Marques Colston is still out this week but it looks like replacing Reggie Bush with Darren Sproles was a stroke of genius – he has already scored TDs on receptions and returns. As good as Drew Brees is I think he is still underrated. He always looks for the big plays and never gets dialed in on a particular receiver.
As expressed earlier there isn’t a lot of history between these teams. The Saints are always tough to beat at the Superdome and have won 9 of their last 11 against the AFC overall. This is their second home game in a row while the Texans are on the road for the second time in a row. Even though it is a short trip to New Orleans that is another advantage for the home team. Just too many advantages in too many places to back the dog in this one.
The odds makers have the New Orleans Saints as a -4 point favorite with an over/under of 53.
ATS Pick: New Orleans -4
Over/Under Pick: Over
Score Prediction: New Orleans 35 – Houston 24
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Atlanta Falcons Betting Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta’s last 14 games
- Atlanta is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games on the road
- Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Trends:
- Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- Tampa Bay is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games at home
- Tampa Bay is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games at home
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