This is a matchup of competing strengths when the Saints have the ball and similar weaknesses when the Texans are driving. Houston recently named Tom Savage its starting quarterback but he is a less-than-inspiring choice. Savage hopes to have a good showing in this one so the team will believe in him after a few seasons of poor quarterback play.
It’s a good situation for the starting Texans offense as the Saints are a poor defensive team. This is an intriguing matchup and it will be interesting to see which team emerges victorious as both sides ramp up for the regular season.
This game in Week 3 of the preseason will go down Saturday, August 26, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Houston Texans +3
New Orleans Saints -3
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
The Saints have the standard three-point favorite for the home field advantage, and the oddsmakers agree these are two pretty evenly ranked teams. While they are built differently, this one could go either way.
New Orleans gets the comfort of sleeping in its own bed and the crowd behind it and hopes to turn that into a victory. The scoring total isn’t super high because the backups will be playing the second half, but it wouldn’t be a surprise for each side to get a touchdown or two in the first half with their starters in the game.
Quarterback Rotation
Brees should make his preseason debut with the Saints this week in this game against the Texans. This will likely be the 38-year-old’s only appearance in a preseason game, but he should get considerable reps in on Saturday.
Sean Payton has again elected to sit his veteran quarterback, along with other valuable talent on the Saints roster, for most of the preseason to avoid injury. Behind Brees, there is still a tight battle for the backup spot between Ryan Nassib, Garrett Grayson and Chase Daniel.
Daniel has the biggest name in the group and wants to see some action to show he deserves the backup role.
Bill O’Brien named Savage as a the Texans starting quarterback this week. Savage pulled ahead of rookie Deshaun Watson during training camp and with his in-game preseason performances.
While Watson had some impressive moments against the Panthers in the first preseason contest where he finished 15-of-25 for 179 yards, he has lacked consistency. Savage was 8-for-9 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown against Carolina and finished 9-of-11 for 69 yards in a win over the Patriots last week.
Watson, a former Heisman Trophy winner, still has a considerable upside, but will serve in a backup role for now, allowing him more time to develop.
Coaching History
Payton has a preseason record of 22-21 in ten years as a head coach in the NFL. The Saints are 1-1 so far this preseason after going 0-4 the last two years in a row.
O’Brien has coached the Texans to an 9-5 preseason record over the last three years, ending each year with a 9-7 regular season record. Houston went 4-0 last preseason and is 1-1 this year.
Free ATS Pick
The Saints will have a tough test, but an elite quarterback is hard to stop, even if J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney see significant snaps. Expect Brees to have a nice game despite the recent layoff, as he should get the passing game clicking.
This game should be high-scoring for an exhibition contest, and take New Orleans to win a close one.
NFL Odds: Saints 26, Texans 20
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!
