Miraculously both the Saints and Redskins are still in the NFC playoff picture, but the likelihood of them making the postseason is slim. The winner keeps their hopes alive while the loser must wait till next year. The Saints have the most generous defense in the NFL but counter with a potent offense that’s produced 80 points in the past two games while easily cashing the over.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Washington Redskins Pick em
New Orleans Saints Pick em
Over/Under 50
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Saints were wagered from a pick em to a 1-point favorite as the Skins continue to deal with injury concerns. New Orleans has its bye after this game and is 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in its past seven games before the off week. Each team has cashed the over in its last two games and points could easily be found.
KEY INJURIES
Hau’oli Kikaha – Is one of three Saints’ linebackers to miss last week’s game. The rookie has been a bright spot on a defense that ranks last in the NFL in yards allowed and is questionable to play Sunday due to an ankle injury. Dannell Ellerbe is working through a hip problem and Ramon Humber has a hamstring issue. The Saints signed another veteran linebacker, James Anderson, in addition to inking Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Mike Mohamed in the last two weeks.
Dashon Goldson – The Redskins lost another member of the secondary when their starting safety left last week’s game with a tight hamstring. The injury is not believed to be serious, but hammy’s are tricky.
KEY MISMATCH
The Saints’ three-game win streak came against teams with 13 or fewer sacks, so there’s something to be said for a team’s apparent lack of a pass rush. The Redskins enter the week with, wait for it, 13 sacks. The Saints came on after starting the year 0-3 and reached the .500 mark with that win streak. It came to an end last week, but Drew Brees and the offense has found its groove. New Orleans ranks second in the league with 326.7 yards per game with Brees throwing for 2,763 yards and 18 touchdowns while compiling a 102.8 passer rating. The receiving corps has been steady. Brandin Cooks averages 13.4 yards on 45 catches with four touchdowns and Benjamin Watson has filled in nicely at tight end with 43 receptions and a 12.4 average with three scores. Willie Snead leads all Saints’ receivers with 645 yards. Washington’s pass defense has held up well considering injuries to starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and DeAngelo Hall. And now Bashaud Breeland is hurt. Culliver and Breeland played last week, but rotated in and they aren’t completely healthy. The unit is prone to big plays and the Saints have big play talent on offense.
KEY STAT
19.8 – Washington’s 28th ranked scoring average. The Skins go against New Orleans’ defense, which allows 29.8 points per game and surrendered 83 points in the last two games.
BETTING ANGLE
In a violent, collision sport the result is players get hurt. In the NFL some teams have to deal with more serious issues than others. And that’s what the Redskins are going through. Perhaps the most beat up team in the league, Washington won’t be getting sympathy cards from anyone. Dress your best 53 and see what happens. Unfortunately Washington’s best 53 now isn’t as good as the 53 the Skins had in training camp. The running game dried up with several key offensive linemen getting hurt and the secondary is a mess also. The team has been crippled by injuries with four starters lost for the year before the end of Week 3. In addition, the cornerback position has been in flux since training camp thanks to injuries and suspensions, and this isn’t a roster capable of sustaining such losses.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Redskins had a case of the dropsies last week with as many as seven Cousin offerings dropped by receivers. Once again the Redskins failed to move the football on the ground and the outcome against the best team in NFL football was predictable: a 27-10 loss in New England. The Saints had their share of breakdowns as well with their three-game win streak coming to an end at the hand of the Titans in overtime. Despite the meltdowns, both teams are still in the playoff conversation. The Skins are two wins behind the Giants in the NFC East and as we’ve seen, anything can happen in that division. New Orleans’ defense has taken them out of games but the rookies on the unit have shown flashes of being decent – just not enough of them yet. With a couple of suspect defensive teams, look for a shootout, and the Saints have more weapons on offense, especially at quarterback, to get the road win.
New Orleans 33, Washington 27
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