Sean Payton can't be overly happy at his defense right now. This unit has given up gobs of yards and points here in the preseason, which has prompted his team to lose each of its first two games. Now, the New Orleans Saints will hope to avoid an 0-3 start to their exhibitions when they take on the Houston Texans.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Brian Hoyer has won the quarterbacking job for Houston, and he'll start this game and probably play at least the entire first half, if not into the third quarter.
That doesn't mean we aren't going to see plenty out of Ryan Mallett, though. Mallett is a far more interesting case to watch in this one from a live betting perspective. He has the tools to be a starting quarterback in this league. However, if his attitude holds him back after losing out to be the starter in this one, the Texans could tank in the second half.
Drew Brees didn't play in the first preseason game, and he probably won't play in the last one either. The Saints starter doesn't need these big time reps though, and with three other quarterbacks who are vying to become the team's backup, it might become more vital to see Garrett Grayson and the band of backups instead of Brees.
WHEN NEW ORLEANS HAS THE BALL
The Saints aren't running the ball all that well, but they aren't expected to be this dominant running club when the games count either. For the most part, they are who they are, and that means chucking the ball all over the place.
Overs are generally popular plays in New Orleans games as a result. The outcomes might be a little trite, but it's tough to argue with anyone who wants to live bet the over no matter who the quarterback is in the lineup. The Saints are averaging 25.5 points and 319 passing yards per game.
WHEN HOUSTON HAS THE BALL
The fear here for over bettors is the fact that the Texans have been running the ball a ton when they've had it. This is very likely intentional on O'Brien's part, knowing that he might have to find a legitimate back for his backfield for the long haul if Arian Foster's groin injury isn't all healed up by October as is expected.
Now that the quarterbacking hierarchy has been worked out, there might be even more running in this game for Houston, which might eliminate that tendency to be an over game when New Orleans has it for live betting purposes.
TREND TO TRACK
The preseason might not mean a thing to Payton, but it is worth noting that his teams are 8-1 here in Week 3 of the preseason, and included in that mix are two wins over these Texans in Week 3.
He hasn't beaten O'Brien in the preseason though, and we're wondering if we're seeing the start of a coaching career which will be filled with exhibition victories. Houston played incredibly smart football in Week 3 of the preseason last year to earn a victory, and we wouldn't expect anything less in this one.
That's going to make life particularly difficult for live bettors in this game. The angle to try to figure out is which team is going to play harder in this game, and that will be best worked out during the game play. For our money, live betting this duel might end up being even better than just trying to handicap out a winner beforehand.
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the New Orleans Saints were positioned as 3.5-point favorites with a total of 44. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans is set for Sunday, August 30, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The matchup will be televised live on FOX.
