The NFC is a muddled mess, of which the New Orleans Saints are smack dab in the middle. They will aim to stay atop their division and push for a top two seed in the conference when they face off against the New York Jets in Week 15 of the regular season.
The Saints have been one of the best teams in the league all year and should have enough talent on both sides of the ball to win this game. The New York Jets have been surprisingly competitive in many games this season but will be without starting quarterback Josh McCown, which will put them at quite the disadvantage.
Between the home field and the huge difference at quarterback, the Saints should be favored to easily pull out this victory.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 15 game is set for Sunday, December 17, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Jets +16
New Orleans Saints -16
Over/Under 47
Odds Analysis
This is the biggest spread of the week and very few have reached this level on the season. The Saints are expected to dominate this contest. About 52 percent of the action is on the Jets to cover as even a bad performance could result in a payout if New York can keep this one reasonably close.
The “under” is the more popular choice, with more than 71 percent of the action heading that way. That isn’t a big surprise. The Saints can put up points in a hurry, but if the Jets don’t score a lot it could be hard to reach that many points.
Injury Report
Alvin Kamara — The Saints’ star running back suffered a concussion in the beginning of Sunday’s game against the Falcons and didn’t return. He has been one of the best rookies in the NFL this season and his absence would be a big one. Check to see how he is coming along later in the week. If Kamara is sidelined, it will mean a bigger role for Mark Ingram.
Matt Forte — The Jets’ veteran running back is battling a knee injury. He played last week against the Broncos but carried the ball only six times for a meager 13 yards. Forte is no longer the player he once was. While the Jets would love to get a ground game rolling with a backup quarterback under center, Bilal Powell may have to do the heavy lifting.
Brian Winter — The Jets’ guard is dealing with both abdominal and ankle injuries. He is listed as questionable for this contest, so watch to see how he is coming along. The Saints don’t have a dominant pass-rush, but New York figures to be behind late, which could be a problem if the line isn’t ready.
Player To Watch
Bryce Petty — The youngster will get the start for the Jets with McCown on the shelf for the rest of the season with a broken left hand. Petty took over in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos and was nothing short of awful. He finished the game 2-of-9 for 14 yards.
Petty was a third-round pick by the Jets a couple of years ago but has not shown much. He has completed 77-of-142 passes for 823 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions in his career.
McCown has played well this season but is at the tail-end of his career. Petty would love to be in the mix as his replacement, but he has not shown the ability to be a consistent starter in this league. The Saints used to have a porous defense but it has tightened up considerably in 2017.
This is a tough matchup for Petty in what should be a loud stadium. It might go very badly for him.
Free ATS Pick
The Saints are going to dominate this game. The spread is fair because it’s possible the Jets make a big play or two to stick around, but the choice is still for New Orleans to cover.
This game should be put out of reach by early in the second half. Petty doesn’t stand much of a chance to play well in these types of conditions. Take the Saints to roll to the win.
NFL Odds: Saints 33, Jets 13
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