An inter-conference duel between two scuffling teams will be on tap on this NFL Sunday as the New Orleans Saints head off to the Steel City to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is time to check out our NFL odds series where our Saints-Steelers prediction and pick will be unveiled for all betting fanatics to see!
The departure of Drew Brees way back in the early months of 2021 seemed to have a major effect on the Saints, as the once ultra-competitive franchise has fallen on hard times and hasn't been able to replicate that same success over the course of the past couple of seasons. No question, replacing a HOF QB At the moment, the Saints have a 3-6 record and are currently in third place within an up-for-grabs NFC South division.
As for the Steelers, Pittsburgh is in a very similar position in trying to replace a long-time quarterback that brought the organization championships and another era of winning football. With that being said, the Steelers decided to draft quarterback and hometown kid Kenny Pickett in last year's draft to try to replicate what they did when they selected Ben Roethlisberger way back in 2004. While Pickett has obviously gone through some growing pains as a rookie, can he put together a steady outing and help the Steelers improve to 3-6 on the season?
Here are the Saints-Steelers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Saints-Steelers Odds
New Orleans Saints: -1.5 (-110)
Pittsburgh Steelers: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 40.5 (-106)
Under: 40.5 (-114)
Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread
Things have certainly been better when it comes to their football team in the Big Easy, but there is still hope that the Saints can make a run at the division by starting with a spread-covering victory over a lowly Steelers team. Not to mention, but with every single team residing in a crowded NFC South boasting a losing record entering the tenth week of the season, the time is now for New Orleans to make a run at a possible division title.
For starters, even though the Saints are squaring off with a beatable Steelers squad, they will still need to execute an effective game plan to take care of business. To begin, the Saints have to find a way to get the best out of their running game and relieve as much responsibility as possible from QB Andy Dalton. While Dalton has shown glimpses of making some plays down the field, he is too viable in throwing back-breaking interceptions that disrupt any momentum gained by the offense. Clearly, running back Alvin Kamara is the Saints' best player on offense and will need to be utilized heavily for the Saints to cover.
On defense, the Saints have thrived in preventing teams in air assault by jamming receivers at the line and making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. In fact, the Saints are only allowing 215 passing yards per game and should excel at mixing up their coverage looks to confuse Kenny Pickett. Even though this is a unit that is surrendering 25.2 points per game, they should not be slept on.
Why The Steelers Could Cover The Spread
It seems like a lifetime ago that the Steelers record was this poor this late into the season, but it definitely makes sense given the fact that they are in the midst of a massive rebuild. Nevertheless, just because the Steelers have hit the reset button does not mean that this team lacks any talent whatsoever.
The good news is that with the Steelers being so far removed from the AFC playoff picture at 2-6, there is absolutely no pressure for Pittsburgh to come out and ball out. At first glance, this offense has been about as dreadful as it gets, which is putting it nicely. As a whole, the Steelers are averaging a horrendous 315 yards per game and aren't doing a whole lot right in any aspect offensively. The key for the Steelers in this offense is to find a way to get running back Najee Harris' feet wet early and often. Pittsburgh is only averaging 94.9 rushing yards per contest as Harris has yet to rush for 100 yards this season.
On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh hasn't been all that better in large part due to their shaky pass rush that makes it hard for the secondary to cover their matchups for that long, but at least safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been showing why he remains one of the best secondary members that the NFL has to offer. Through eight games, the ball-hawking Pittsburgh safety leads the club with three interceptions and should be the Steelers' best weapon defensively.
Final Saints-Steelers Prediction & Pick
There's no arguing that both teams have been pretty ugly to watch thus far, but if there was one side to put your trust in, it would be the Saints and their strength on defense.
Final Saints-Steelers Prediction & Pick: Saints -1.5 (-110)
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