Lions vs. Saints Playoff Odds
NEW ORLEANS, LA (The Spread) – In what figures to be a shootout, the New Orleans Saints will host the Detroit Lions in the Wildcard round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs tonight at 8:00PM ET on NBC.
DETROIT: The Lions clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 1999 when they finished the regular season with a 10-6 overall record. Matthew Stafford led the team with 5,038 passing yards while Calvin Johnson racked up 1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. But while the Lions finally secured a postseason berth, they blew an opportunity to clinch the fifth seed in the NFC when they lost to the Packers in Week 17. Now they must go back to New Orleans after losing to the Saints 31-17 as a 9-point underdog in early December. Thanks to both teams’ outstanding passing attacks oddsmakers assume that this will be a high-scoring affair, although it’ll be interesting to see if Ndamukong Suh can turn this game on its head with his pass-rushing ability. He was suspended the first time these two teams met this season.
NEW ORLEANS: Following a 31-21 loss to the previously winless Rams on October 30, the Saints regrouped and haven’t looked back. They won eight straight games to close out the regular season and have been on a tear at home this year. In back-to-back wins over Atlanta and Carolina in the final two weeks of the season, New Orleans scored a combined 90 points. They also racked up 62 points in a 62-7 victory over the Colts in Week 7 this year. The Saints finished the season with a 13-3 overall record and were 12-4 against the spread this season, including a perfect 8-0 at home. Drew Brees leads the team with 5,087 passing yards while Jimmy Graham has a team-high 10 touchdowns.
ODDS: Oddsmakers have installed the Saints as a 10.5-point favorite over the Lions for today’s game, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 58.5 points. Detroit enters the day with a 10-6 overall record and is 5-3 on the road this year, while New Orleans is 13-3 overall and 8-0 at home.
TRENDS: The Lions are 1-4-1 against the spread in their last six games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last four games versus the NFC. They’re also 0-3-1 ATS in their last four road games and 2-5-2 ATS in their last nine games as a road underdog of 10.5 points or greater. The Saints are 8-0 against the spread in their last eight games overall and 11-1 ATS in their last 12 home games. They’re also 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games versus a team with a winning record and 7-0 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite.
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