Raiders vs. Saints Pick
Are the Saints a solid bet as a small favorite to beat the Raiders today at 1:00PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Saints are 2-point home favorites versus the Raiders while the over/under is currently sitting at 52 points. Both the side and the total moved off the original number, with New Orleans going from -1 to -2 and the total jumping two full points from 50 up to 52.
The Raiders were hyped all offseason as a potential playoff sleeper, and for good reason. Derek Carr is entering his third season and has made strides in each of his first two years in the league. He’ll once again be joined by Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Latavius Murray and Clive Walford on offense, plus the team signed one of the best free agents on the market in guard Kelechi Osemele. Defensively, Khalil Mack is an emerging star and is joined by newcomers Bruce Irvin, Reggie Nelson and Jihad Ward.
The Saints will once again have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, led by quarterback Drew Brees, running back Mark Ingram and receiver Brandin Cooks. That core will be joined by new faces Coby Fleener and Michael Thomas, while Willie Snead and C.J. Spiller will slide into complementary roles again this season. On defense, the team hopes that the additions of James Laurinaitis and Nick Fairley, plus the return to health of Jairus Byrd will provide an upgrade to one of the worst units in the league last season.
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OUR PICK: The Raiders are definitely a team to watch this season in a wide-open AFC, but this is a tough draw in their first game. The Saints are incredibly difficult to beat in the Superdome and while Oakland’s defense should be up for the task early, eventually Brees will start firing on all cylinders. New Orleans finished 2015 on a 4-1 ATS roll and should win its home opener today.
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