The New Orleans Saints have recovered from their early-season stumble, defeating the Carolina Panthers last Thursday to record back-to-back wins for the first time this season. They can extend their winning streak to three games when they face the struggling San Francisco 49ers who are going on the opposite direction, having lost their last two outings.
Read on for a complete preview of this showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals here.
[sc:Football ]San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints Preview
When: Sunday, November 9, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
Line: San Francisco 49ers +4 at New Orleans Saints -4; total 49.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers
It’s back to the drawing board for the San Francisco 49ers after a gut-wrenching 13-10 defeat to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Colin Kaepernick fumbled at the goal line with two seconds remaining to send the 49ers crashing to their second-straight loss.
[sc:NFL240banner ]If they are to avoid a third consecutive defeat this coming Sunday, their offensive line will have to do a much better job of protecting their star quarterback. Kaepernick was sacked a total of eight times by the Rams on Sunday, a career-high for the 26-year-old. That follows their atrocious performance against the Broncos two weeks ago where they allowed Kaepernick to be sacked six times.
What makes it worse for the 49ers offensive line is that they were destroyed by a Rams defense that entered the game with a league-worst six sacks all season. With Kaepernick not getting enough protection, the 49ers’ offense have clearly struggled, averaging just 13.5 points in their last two defeats.
That’s not going to be enough against the offensive juggernaut that is New Orleans. They are fifth in the NFL in scoring this season with an average of 28.4 points per ballgame. They’re even deadlier at home, where they have averaged 33.6 points per outing so far this season.
Despite their offensive issues, the 49ers are second best defensive team in the NFL this year. They have allowed an average of just 291.9 yards per game in total defense this season.
The 49ers are 2-2 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans’ renaissance continued on Thursday night as they defeated the Carolina Panthers 28-10 to improve to 4-4, good enough for sole possession of first in the NFC South.
Drew Brees completed 24 of 34 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown but it was running back Mark Ingram who really stole the show for New Orleans, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Brees paid tribute to Ingram after the game, saying that he was the catalyst for the Saints’ turnaround the past two weeks.
It’s easy to see why Brees arrived at this conclusion. Ingram has been unstoppable the past two games, averaging 136 rushing yards per outing in their last two victories over Green Bay and Carolina. His 30 carries against the Panthers were the fourth-most in the league this season and he is the first Saint to post that figure since Deuce McAllister did it back in 2004.
Ingram will have his work cut out for him, though, this coming Sunday as he’ll face a San Francisco defensive line that is fifth-best in the league in rushing defense, allowing an average of just 85.6 yards per game this season. Still, the Saints will not be intimidated by any means as they possess the second-best offense in the NFL today averaging 436.5 yards per game this season.
The Saints will also be helped by the fact that they will return to the friendly confines of the Superdome for this game. The Saints are unbeaten in their last 11 games there and have not lost a match at their home field since December 30, 2012.
The Saints are 2-1 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Saints (-4) crush the 49ers to extend their winning streak to three games.
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