Neither team is firing on all cylinders, but a chance to get their season turned around will be up for grabs as the New Orleans Saints head to the northeast for a battle with the New England Patriots. Check out our NFL odds series where our Saints-Patriots prediction and pick will be unveiled for all to see.

Last Sunday, it was the Saints who saw their record drop to an even 2-2 after getting stomped by division rival Tampa Bay by a score of 26-9. Clearly, QB Derek Carr wasn't his healthy self and the Saints struggled to do anything right for the majority of the day. Regardless, New Orleans still has a tremendous opportunity to get back in the win column with a solid showing at Gillette Stadium.

On the other side of things, the Patriots are in a very similar boat as the Saints that seems to be taking in water and slowly but surely sinking. In other words, New England's performance last weekend which resulted in being on the wrong side of a 38-3 blowout versus the Cowboys was stinkier than a baby's diaper and that's saying something. Overall, New England will come into a new Sunday with a 1-3 record and another loss could signal yet another lost season since the departure of QB Tom Brady.

Here are the Saints-Patriots NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Saints-Patriots Odds

New Orleans Saints: -1 (-105)

New England Patriots: +1 (-115)

Over: 39.5 (-110)

Under: 39.5 (-110)

How to Watch Saints vs. Patriots Week 5

Time: 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT

TV: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), NFL Sunday Ticket if out-of-market

Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread

On paper, the Saints arguably have a playoff-worthy defense that is extremely stout in most areas. While the new-look offense under first-year quarterback Derek Carr has slacked off to begin the 2023 season, this defense has kept this team in game after game and is obviously a major strength in their efforts to cover the spread this upcoming weekend.

While this ferocious defense could spell out trouble for the Patriots, there is no question that the Saints need to continue to run the offense through running back Alvin Kamara. In his first game back against the Bucs after sitting out three games of the season for violating the NFL's player conduct policy, he is officially back and did not disappoint whatsoever. With a full workload, it was Kamara who ran circles around Tampa Bay's defense with 84 total yards and a whopping 13 catches in the passing game. Alas, it is Kamara's dynamic play as a pass-catcher as well that makes things scary for opposing defenses. Be on the lookout for Kamara to be the heart of this scuffling offense that is parched for an electric jumpstart from one of the top backs in the NFL.

Not to mention, but generating pressure on Mac Jones and the Patriots backfield will surely be a must. So far, the Saints have accounted for only nine sacks which is near the bottom half of the league. Clearly, getting after the quarterback at a higher rate needs to occur as soon as possible.

Why The Patriots Could Cover The Spread

Ladies and gentlemen, we officially have a quarterback controversy in New England. Although QB Mac Jones has been running the show under center the past couple of seasons including leading the Pats to a Wild Card berth back in 2021, the former Alabama standout has done nothing but regress since. Indeed, things got ugly last Sunday against a talented Cowboys defense as it was Jones who was benched at the start of the fourth quarter after turning the ball over at a disturbing rate.

Not only will Jones need to take better care of the football, but showing resiliency in the wake of the worst loss in Bill Belichick's career will be a telling tale for how the rest of the regular season plays out. In an attempt to bounce back and cover the spread, someone within this offense needs to provide a spark.

As it stands, this Patriots offensive attack obviously lacks weapons, but that doesn't mean that no one on that side of the ball isn't capable of stepping. Indeed, look no further than guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker to increase their production from the wideout position. As it stands, New England's wide receivers have been downright invisible during the first four games of the campaign. Obviously, the Patriots cannot expect to continuously win games and cover spreads if these wideouts don't gain separation and make plays in the passing game.

Similarly to the Saints, the Patriots' strength is their defense led by defensive-minded coach Bill Belichick. Perhaps, maybe New England can force some turnovers to give their offense some short fields? If this can be the case, then the Pats will certainly have a shot to cover the spread and take care of business in front of their home fans.

Final Saints-Patriots Prediction & Pick

Without a doubt, both teams need this one more than ever. However, only one side can get the job done, and my prediction is that the Patriots with a home-field advantage and one of the best coaches in NFL history at their disposal will find ways to win and cover this contest in crunch time.

Final Saints-Patriots Prediction & Pick: Patriots +1 (-115)