Matt Fargo
10* New Orleans Saints
10* Arizona Wildcats
Ben Burns
10* Saints / Packers Under
10* Arizona +14
Trace Adams
1500♦ Arizona +14
500♦ Saints +4.5
Fantasy Sports Gametime
Play Arizona (-165) over San Diego (Top Play of the Day)
Arizona has won 22 of the last 26 home games as a favorite of -150 to -200 and they have also won 12 of the last 14 overall games. Ian Kennedy is 4-0 vs. San Diego over his career with an ERA of 2.19 and he is also 3-0 over the last three overall starts with an ERA of 0.86.
Play New York Yankees (-185) over Baltimore (Bonus)
Al DeMarco
15 Dime Saints / Packers Over 47.5
Paul Leiner
100* Saints / Packers Over 47
50* Blue Jays -130
Today's Picks
Oklahoma St -13.5
Larry Cook
7* Red Sox +121
Tim Trushel
15* Dodgers / Nationals Under GM 1
Wunderdog
Saints / Packers Under 48.5
The 2011 NFL season gets underway with a good one as the New Orleans Saints take on last year's Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau. These are a pair of teams more noted for exciting offense than stifling defense, but the defenses both have something to say. Green Bay owned the #2 defense a year ago. allowing just 15.0 points per game and is now healthier. And the Saints didn't win the Super Bowl two years ago on offense alone. Last season they owned the 7th best defense (19.2 pokints per game). So while the focus of the media and average fan is on Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, the fact that we have two of the top seven defenses going at it here gets lost in the shuffle. High-powered offenses often struggle early as they take more time to shake off the rust than do defenses. This year that is likely especially true given the lockout. When you get two high-powered QBs taking each other on, they often play more ball-control to keep each other’s offense off the field. New Orleans has posted a 9-3 mark to the UNDER in season game one over the last 12 years, and the Packers’ high-powered offense hasn't clicked in week one either recently, with a 6-1 mark to the UNDER in their last seven season openers. Take the UNDER in here.
Maddux Sports
10* Saints / Packers Over 47
10* Philadelphia / Milwaukee Under 8
10* Chicago White Sox -149
10* Kansas City -108
Jimmy Boyd
4* Saints +4.5
3* Arizona +14
3* Braves G1
Andy Iskoe
Saints at Packers
Pick: Over
The last two Super Bowl winners square off to open the 2011 season and this is certainly an attractive matchup that features two of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks with New Orleans’ Drew Brees’ and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Both teams have pretty good defensive talent but both offenses have big play capability. There’s a real good chance these teams will meet again in January. Both teams are deep on offense and have much of the same personnel from last season which somewhat lessens the impact of time lost during the lockout. The Saints do have new running backs but the receiving corps remains largely intact. Green Bay also has depth at wide receiver. Sometimes the “square” play that seems way too obvious is still the one that works.
Bob Balfe
Philadelphia Phillies -124
The Phillies are on a roll and this is a playoff preview tonight. The Brewers are the best team at home in baseball, but the Phillies are the best road team in baseball. Something has to give. Cole Hamels is a much better pitcher than Chris Narveson and has playoff experience, which is what the atmosphere will feel like tonight. Look for the Phillies to stay hot.
KBHoops
4* Packers -4 -120