The wait is finally over. Football fans craving NFL action are in luck as the preseason is about to kick off. A full 256-game regular season schedule starts in four short weeks, and the Hall of Fame game will get things going in the preseason as soon as Sunday (you can read the preview for that game here).
One of the games to watch this coming week will be the matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the St. Louis Rams. Read on for a preview of this NFC battle as the start of the real NFL season draws ever closer.
[sc:Football ]New Orleans Saints vs. St. Louis Rams Betting Preview
Where: Edward Jones Dome
When: Friday, August 8, 8:00 PM ET
Line: New Orleans Saints (-110) at St. Louis Rams (-110); total: 38.0 – see all NFL lines
Why This Game Matters
[sc:NFL240banner ]St. Louis fans will be waiting with bated breath on whether their quarterback Sam Bradford will make his much-anticipated return to the football field after suffering an ACL injury that cut short his season last year. He has been impressive in practice so far this offseason with more zip to his passes, but actual live action is a totally different animal and it is up to coach Jeff Fisher if he is deemed fit and ready to go to face the New Orleans Saints to start their preseason campaign.
Betting on the New Orleans Saints
The Saints travel to St. Louis to begin their preseason schedule as they hope to improve on their road form that was below par last season. The Saints were just 3-5 SU on the road last season as they struggled to duplicate their home success which saw them go a perfect 8-0 at the Superdome.
Once again, the focal point of the Saints attack will revolve around quarterback Drew Brees who torched opposing defenses last year. He passed for a total of 5,162 yards, topping the 5,000 passing yard mark for the third-consecutive season.
Saints fans, though, will be more curious about their new signings particularly on the defensive end as they bid to win the Super Bowl for the first time since 2009. They paid a whopping $56 million to lure safety Jairus Byrd to New Orleans as they try to shore up a defense that was ranked second in opposing passing yards with a 194.1 yard per game average and 19th in opposing rushing yards at 111.6 yards per game.
In fact, the Saints are forming a secondary that can challenge the Seahawks in terms of talent with young stars such as cornerback Keenan Lewis and safety Kenny Vaccaro forming an imposing defense with Byrd.
The Saints also took a gamble and signed cornerback Champ Bailey to a two-year contract worth $7-million and it will be interesting to watch if the 12-time Pro Bowler can still bring it at the top level after being saddled with injuries last season.
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Betting on the St. Louis Rams
The main question surrounding the St. Louis Rams as they enter their first preseason game is the health of their quarterback Sam Bradford. In this era especially, an NFL team goes where their quarterback goes. Bradford played only seven games last year before suffering an ACL injury that cut short what looked to be a promising season.
The good news, however, out of training camp is that Bradford is right on schedule for his return to the squad that sorely missed his services last season. The Rams were sixth-worst in the league in terms of passing yards average last year with a measly 195.3 mark and Bradford’s return will help the Rams in improving that clip.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher has stated that he may not play the quarterback in this game against the Saints. Though some fans will be disappointed with this development, it will give them the chance to take a closer look on some of the moves that the Rams organization had made to improve on their disappointing season last year.
One of the key changes to the Rams organization this year was the signing of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who replaced Tim Walton. His main task is to improve a defense that allowed 242.1 passing yards per game last season, good for 19th in the entire league.
Though his role in the bounty program that saw him serve a one-year suspension continues to ruffle some feathers, there is no doubting how great a coach this defensive wizard is. With the Saints on the opposing end, it is the perfect opportunity for Williams to prove to his former team that they were wrong in letting him go.
One of their key defensive acquisitions this past offseason was defensive tackle Aaron Donald who was picked in the first round. His aggressive style of defense, particularly in blitzes, is perfect for Williams and he will play a key role for the Rams this coming season.
Writer’s Prediction
Boosted by their home crowd, the Rams will shut down Brees and the rest of the New Orleans offense as they start their preseason on the right note.
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