The New Orleans Saints will travel to Santa Clara to face the San Francisco 49ers in some NFL preseason action. We're live from Levi Stadium, sharing our NFL preseason odds series and making a Saints-49ers prediction and pick.
The Saints defeated the Arizona Cardinals 16-14 in the preseason opener. Derek Carr started the game and played up the hopes of the new and improved team. But he struggled in this one, going 2 for 6 with 12 yards passing. Jake Haener went 9 for 17 with 107 yards passing. Then, rookie Spencer Rattler went 9 for 17 with 70 yards while rushing twice for eight yards and a touchdown. Rattler also engineered the game-winning drive.
Jordan Mims rushed 10 times for 38 yards while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Jamaal Williams struggled, rushing six times for 20 yards. A.T. Perry paced the receivers with four catches for 85 yards. Likewise, Chris Olave had one catch for 10 yards on three targets.
The Saints committed nine penalties, displaying some sloppiness. Additionally, they went 5 for 15 on third-down conversions, displaying some issues under pressure.
The 49ers lost 17-13 to the Tennessee Titans in their preseason opener. Backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs went 14 for 20 with 146 yards passing with one interception. Also, Brandon Allen went 7 for 13 with 98 yards passing.
Jordan Mason had a productive day, rushing six times for 34 yards. Conversely, Matt Breida struggled, rushing six times for no yards and a fumble.
Tay Martin led the receivers with five catches for 58 yards. Meanwhile, Trent Taylor had three receptions for 48 yards. Ronnie Bell also added two catches for 22 yards.
The 49ers went 4 for 11 on third-down conversions and 0 for 2 on fourth-down conversions. Moreover, they also had a turnover and two sacks allowed while committing eight penalties.
Here are the NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Saints-49ers Odds
New Orleans Saints: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -105
San Francisco 49ers: -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -115
Over: 38.5 (-110)
Under: 38.5 (-110)
How to Watch Saints vs. 49ers Preseason
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: FOX Sports
Stream: fuboTV (Click Here for free trial)
Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Saints will look for more action for Rattler to see how effective he can be. This will be more important because the 49ers will have some of their starters playing. If Rattler faces some of the top guys on the Niners, it could give him some valuable experience. The goal here is to establish a path for Rattler.
The Saints would also like to establish a backup running back behind Alvin Kamara. When they find one, they will have someone ready to spell him on important drives. Perry's development will be paramount as he attempts to continue making strides. They likely will give Olave some more work to try and get some reps and build up his play count.
The Saints will cover the spread if they can establish some scoring early in the game against the starters. Then, they need Perry to continue flourishing in this offense.
Why The 49ers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The 49ers did not use any starters in the preseason opener, which they mainly used to test backups and possible depth pieces. Now, they will use some of their starters.
Kyle Shanahan likes Brock Purdy's progress, but he believes he can get better and that there is always room for improvement. Purdy will start in this preseason game to get the rust out. Presumably, this will be the only preseason action he sees, and it will be interesting to see how long he does. The goal is to get him some reps and then remove him at the appropriate time. Then, it will be time for the backups.
This is where the competition between Dobbs and Allen heats up. One of them has to throw a touchdown to show Shanahan some progress. Likewise, the Niners will see more out of Mason as he attempts to wrangle a spot behind Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell.
The wide receiver depth will also be up for grabs. Who will be the next man up behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Ricky Pearsall? This is where this game serves some importance, and the Niners see what they have.
The 49ers will cover the spread if Purdy can lead a successful drive or two and give the Niners the early lead. Then, they need to play tight defense.
Final Saints-49ers Prediction & Pick
Because both teams are starting their starters, the first part of this game will resemble a real game. The Niners have the edge due to their overall talent. Purdy will find his open receivers and thrive even without McCaffrey. Therefore, we can see a scenario where they take the lead early and never relinquish it. The 49ers will score early and do enough to win this game and cover the spread at home in this preseason tilt with the Saints.
Click here for more betting news & predictions
Final Saints-49ers Prediction & Pick: San Francisco 49ers: -1.5 (-105)
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