They’re not doing it in dominating fashion, but the New Orleans Saints keep finding ways to win. Drew Brees has played well when it matters despite having played the season without star receiver Michael Thomas. The star of the Saints so far as been running back Alvin Kamara, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the most dangerous players in the NFL. Sean Payton is looking to capitalize on his waning time with Brees.
With Tom Brady being added to the division, New Orleans’ road to both the playoffs and division crown is a much tougher one. One of these legends is almost guaranteed to win the NFC South this year and have a very real shot at Super Bowl LV.
New Orleans Saints Week 8 odds
The Saints shut out Carolina in the fourth quarter on the way to a big division win. Marquez Callaway led the depleted Saints receiving corps with 75 yards; the rookie may be in for another big day if Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are unavailable again this week.
The Saints travel to face the Bears this week and opened as three-point road favorites (now sit at ).
New Orleans’ biggest strength has been their rush defense– they’re fourth in rush defense DVOA and PFF’s rush defense rating. Their stingy front is only allowing 89.7 rushing yards per game (fourth). The Saints should have no problem stuffing the Bears running game (84.1 yards per game, last in the league) and forcing Nick Foles to throw often. Foles has also had his fair share of struggled through the air, as he ranks 27th in passer rating this season (77.6).
It’s the second test of the 5-2 Bears in two weeks, which should sort out their legitimacy as contenders.
See how the Saints rank in this week’s Power Rankings
Saints futures odds
Saints Super Bowl odds
Despite a tough start to the year, the Saints were never too far out of consideration in sportsbooks. Turns out, the hesitancy to drop their odds paid off and the Saints are right back in the thick of it. Their odds after Week 7 sit at +1600.
NFC South winner odds
The Saints and Buccaneers have been in contention to win the NFC South all offseason and regular season long. The latest odds have the teams flip flopping again, with Tampa now being the odds-on favorites. New Orleans (+130) sits a close second.
Saints schedule and odds
| Week | Date | Time | Opponent | Opening spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 13 | 4:25 p.m. ET | vs. Tampa Bay | Saints -4 |
| Week 2 | Monday, Sept. 21 | 8:15 p.m. ET | at Las Vegas | Saints -4.5 |
| Week 3 | Sunday, Sept. 27 | 8:20 p.m. ET | vs. Green Bay | Saints -6 |
| Week 4 | Sunday, Oct. 4 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Detroit | Saints -8.5 |
| Week 5 | Monday, Oct. 12 | 8:15 p.m. ET | vs. LA Chargers | Saints -9.5 |
| Week 6 | Sunday, Oct. 18 | BYE | ||
| Week 7 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Carolina | Saints -13.5 |
| Week 8 | Sunday, Nov. 1 | 4:25 p.m. ET | at Chicago | Saints -4 |
| Week 9 | Sunday, Nov. 8 | 8:20 p.m. ET | at Tampa Bay | Buccaneers -0.5 |
| Week 10 | Sunday, Nov. 15 | 4:25 p.m. ET | vs. San Francisco | Saints -1.5 |
| Week 11 | Sunday, Nov. 22 | 1:00 p.m. ET | vs. Atlanta | Saints -8 |
| Week 12 | Sunday, Nov. 29 | 4:05 p.m. ET | at Denver | Saints -4.5 |
| Week 13 | Sunday, Dec. 6 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Atlanta | Saints -4.5 |
| Week 14 | Sunday, Dec. 13 | 4:25 p.m. ET | at Philadelphia | Saints -0.5 |
| Week 15 | Sunday, Dec. 20 | 4:25 p.m. ET | vs. Kansas City | Chiefs -1 |
| Week 16 | Friday, Dec. 25 | 4:30 p.m. ET | vs. Minnesota | Saints -6.5 |
| Week 17 | Sunday, Jan. 3 | 1:00 p.m. ET | at Carolina | N/A |
How to bet on the New Orleans Saints
Before checking out the NFL futures odds at DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbooks, be sure to study up on the most common betting terms and how the odds work in order to get the best value on your bets. Single-game lines for Week 1 will likely be released shortly after the 2020 NFL schedule comes out within the next couple weeks.
Moneyline
The simplest way to get betting action on NFL games. Pick one team or the other to win straight up with a winner and loser guaranteed with the exception of the rare tie. A tie results in a push and all bets on either side are refunded in full.
Odds will generally range from -200 for favorites to +200 for underdogs. More lopsided matchups later in the season can extend those odds in either direction. The Saints could be favored by as much as -550 in a Week 15 home date against the Panthers who could receive high +600 odds. A $10 bet on the Saints would be deemed a chalk play with a profit of just $1.82 with an outright win. The same bet on the underdog Panthers would turn a profit of $60 with the unlikely upset.
Current team performance, injuries, home-field advantage, and recent head-to-head matchups all go into setting the opening odds. Public betting action through the week of the game will shift the odds in either direction. Divisional games often come with tempered odds because the familiarity of the opponents can outweigh the current play of either side.
Spread
A lopsided on-field matchup with less profitable moneyline odds should turn bettors toward the spread.
Instead of picking a team to beat the other and win outright, each team is matched up against a projection of how many points they’ll need to either win or lose by for a bet to cash.
In the above scenario of the Saints being heavy home favorites against the Panthers, they’d be likely to have a spread of -7.5. This means they’ll need to win by 8 or more points. The Panthers would be +7.5 on the other side and they would need to lose by no more than 7 points or win outright in order to cover their side of the bet. Both sides are likely to have equal odds of around -110 with a profit margin of $9.09 on a $10 bet.
The most common spreads are set at 2.5, 3.5, 6.5 and 7.5 points to represent score differentials of field goals or touchdowns. Rare late-season spreads or matchups with one side dealing with significant injury concerns can extend spreads as high as 15.5 points in an anticipated blowout.
Odds can range from -120 to +120 but are often equal on either side. Spreads of +/-0.5 or +/-1 represent a pick’em and the moneyline would usually be the preferred play with more profitable odds. A push can occur when a line is bet down to a whole number (i.e. 3 or 7). If the Saints were to win by exactly 7 points, all bets would be refunded.
Total
Totals or Over/Under bets are very similar to spreads with a line being set by the books for how many points the teams will combine to score in a game. Lines generally range from the mid-30s to high-50s and are influenced by the matchup appeal, star players involved and the weekly time slot. Odds will range from -120 to +120 and are most often equal on both sides.
Primetime Sunday or Monday night contests are likely to see the total inflated by fans and bettors wanting to see touchdowns. Thursday night matchups usually come with lower total projections with the teams on short practice weeks.
A push can happen if the line is set at an integer number such as 47 and the Saints beat the Panthers 27-20.
Moneylines, spreads, and totals are available for a whole game or broken into each half or quarter. Alternate lines allow bettors to get more profitable odds by taking on more risk with a higher or lower number or to make a safer bet with lower odds.
Prop bets
Props are the best way to get action on your favorite players or to bet on either team without worrying too much about the outcome of the game. Statistical projections are set up in Over/Under or Yes/No bets. Players or teams will need to reach certain yardage or reception totals for an Over to hit. Falling short of the projections would mean a win for the Under.
The Yes/No propositions are set up for whether or not specified players will score a touchdown or make an interception. Odds are conservatively set between -130 and +130 with either a $7.69 or $13 profit on a $10 bet, respectively.
The more profitable prop bets come with larger player pools for things such as who will score the first touchdown of the game or who’ll finish the game with more receptions.
The Saints have several MVP contenders in Brees, RB Alvin Kamara, Thomas, and Hill. A $10 bet on Brees at +2000 odds would turn a profit of $200. See below for current Drew Brees betting props and futures.
Futures bets
A form of prop bet, futures bets forecast outcomes that may not be decided for up to a year. Super Bowl odds are generally released immediately following the conclusion of the prior season’s big game. Team win totals, odds to win a division or conference, or player stat lines or awards are released throughout an offseason. All odds are routinely updated based on major events such as free agency, trades or the NFL draft.
Once a season has begun, odds and lines will shift according to the performance of players and teams and will be largely affected by major injury news. Odds will drop the closer a player becomes to achieving their statistical milestone or the more likely they’re perceived to be named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.
With large pools of players for the awards or the rushing title and all 32 teams beginning a season with a shot at the Super Bowl, odds can be set as high as +30000 for a $3,000 profit on a $10 MVP wager placed months in advance. Over/Under lines for yardage or touchdowns will be set much more conservatively at -110 on either side. The books will alter these odds so the vig will help create equal action on either side of the bet. Teams will be dropped from the futures odds once eliminated from contention.
Teasers
A form of parlay bet whereby bettors “buy” or “sell” points to get more profitable odds or get a safer betting line with a more predictable outcome. Boosting a spread from -3.5 to -7.5 raises the odds and the profit margin. Lowering a line from -7.5 to -3.5 makes it an easier bet as the team will need to win by 4 or more points rather than 8 or more.
Multiple bet types from the same or different games are then grouped together for one singular bet with higher odds. The more bets included in the parlay the more difficult it is to cash a ticket as each individual part will need to play out correctly.
In-play/live
Get action on a game after the opening kickoff on your mobile device with in-play or live betting. Odds and lines will adjust based on the present score, big plays and field position, or key injury developments.
Back the home favorites on a live moneyline if they fall down a couple of scores early and become underdogs. Bet the losing team should the opposing starting quarterback or running back leave the game due to injury. Be ready to act quickly as the books are constantly adjusting lines and may even momentarily pull odds off the board following a score, turnover or big offensive gain.
Saints 2020 offseason moves
Key re-signings: QB Drew Brees (two years, $50 million), DT David Onyemata (three years, $26 million, G Andrus Peat (five years, $57.5 million), S D.J. Swearinger (one year, $1.1 million), DE Noah Spence (one year, $910K)
Key free agent losses: LB A.J. Klein (to BUF), QB Teddy Bridgewater (to CAR), S Vonn Bell (to CIN), WR Keith Kirkwood (to CAR)
Key free agent signings: S Malcolm Jenkins (four years, $32 million), WR Emmanuel Sanders (two years, $24 million), FB Michael Burton (one year, $1 million)
The Saints’ two biggest moves were keeping Brees from retirement and reuniting with Jenkins following his release from the Philadelphia Eagles. He’ll help bolster the secondary and overall defense. Losing Bridgewater to the divisional-rival Panthers means Taysom Hill will get his shot as the primary backup to Brees under center. Sanders is expected to supplant Ted Ginn Jr., who remains a free agent, as the No. 2 option to Thomas in the passing game.