Last time, we wrote about a team that may disappoint in the upcoming NFL season. Now, we’re talking about a team that just may pleasantly surprise folks in the 2024 season.
This will be another Futures bet that can pay off sooner rather than expected.
New Orleans Saints Team Total Wins Over 7.5 (-130 FanDuel)
As of this writing, the Over is -130, meaning you’d have to bet $130 to win $100. However, there’s a reason they’re favored to beat their projected win total. Quite a few, actually.
First off, they play in the NFC South, which is widely considered to be the worst division in football. Not only were they the ONLY division to not have a double-digit win team last year, they also had the worst team in the NFL in the Carolina Panthers in their division. So that’s 6 games right off the bat they should be competitive in. In addition to their favorable divisional opponents, they have (relatively) easy matchups against the Broncos, Chargers, Giants, Commanders and Raiders. Playing the Cowboys, Eagles, and Chiefs won’t be a picnic, but there’s plenty of opportunities for the Saints to pick up wins. Derek Carr is a proven veteran QB and the Saints worked hard to make their offensive and defensive lines better in the draft and free agency.
They’re also coming off a 9-win season last year, and superstar running back Alvin Kamara was suspended for the first 3 games of the season. The Saints will have a new offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, managing the helm. The key for the Saints will likely be how their offense produces, given their defense is the stronger unit of the two. If Kubiak can get Derek Carr back in form after a subpar 2023 season, the Saints will be in position to surprise some folks, win more than 7.5 games, and just may compete for a playoff spot in the NFC.