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Andrew Rogers
Saints vs. Ravens Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 1 Odds, Prediction
The Saints enter the three-game exhibition calendar with no clarity on their starting quarterback situation, a wide receiving corp in flux due to a long-term injury to Michael Thomas, and a major downgrade at kicker with Wil Lutz expected to miss an extended period.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Bettors are going to see a lot of 2.5- and three-point spreads during the preseason, with oddsmakers unable (and unwilling) to offer much variance given how little we know about each team’s game-by-game approach. The Ravens get the -2.5 tag for this one as the home team, and it’s worth noting that they’ve given the home fans plenty to cheer about in Augusts past: Baltimore is an incredible 12-1 SU and 11-2 ATS in its last 13 exhibition home games.
Week 1 preseason Over/Unders are low across the board, so it’s no surprise to see these teams carry a total of 36 into this one. Baltimore is 7-4 to the Under in its previous 11 preseason games, including a 14-13 triumph over New Orleans the last time these teams met in exhibition play back in 2017. The Saints have been an even more profitable Under play in recent preseasons, having converted the Under in 12 of their last 15 exhibition tilts.
New Orleans Saints
With Drew Brees officially riding off into the proverbial sunset this offseason, the Saints are on the hunt for a new starting QB – and as of now, it’s a virtual dead heat between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Expect to see both players take the field in this weekend’s exhibition opener, though it’s doubtful that either will see more than a series or two of action. The Saints’ receiving corps will also be under the microscope with Thomas out after undergoing ankle surgery.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have no such quarterback concerns. They’ll roll into 2021 guided by former league MVP Lamar Jackson, who won’t see the field in Saturday’s preseason curtain raiser. However, the Ravens have their own wide receiver issues they’ll be sorting out over their three-game exhibition schedule – and the loss of rookie Rashod Bateman won’t help. Bateman is dealing with a soft-tissue leg injury that puts his availability for the season opener in doubt.
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