Saints 49ers Betting – 49ers Look To Get On Track Against Super Bowl Champs
The defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints opened their football betting season the way they left off last year, beating the Minnesota Vikings 14-9 at home, shortly after raising the franchise’s first banner last Thursday. For the San Francisco 49ers, the story is written a little differently, as the red and gold opened their season with a 31-6 loss on the road against the division rival Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers were projected as the favorites to win that game, which won’t be the case when they take to the field at Candlestick Park for the first time this season to play the Saints.
NFL Betting: New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers
Online Sports Betting: Saints – 4.5
Why To Bet On The Saints?
While their offense guided them to the early lead in their season opener, it was their defense that sealed the victory once again for New Orleans week one versus Minnesota. The Saints’ defense rallied together to shut down Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson, forcing Brett Favre to throw to a receiving core that had been hindered by injuries. New Orleans will need to implement a similar game plan for this week, and if they are able to slow down the 49ers’ running back Frank Gore the way they did to Peterson, the Saints should have no problem getting past San Francisco. Quarterback Drew Brees continues to make progress from week one of the preseason, and should hit full stride in the California sun. The 49ers should be better at home, but their defense is still no match for the New Orleans passing attack.
Why To Bet On The 49ers?
Expectations were high in the Bay area for their beloved 49ers this year, but those hopes were tempered quickly after San Francisco struggled against Seattle. Despite jumping out to the early 3-0 lead, the 49ers fell apart quickly and were outscored 31-3 over the final three quarters. Quarterback Alex Smith completed nine of his first ten passes, but struggled after that, connecting on just 12 of his next 21 passes while throwing two interceptions. Running back Frank Gore was held to just 2.2 yards per carry against the Seahawks, and will need to be better to give the 49ers the spark they need on offense. San Francisco has struggled to stop the pass in year’s past, and will need to find a way to get pressure on Brees to keep him from torching them.
How The Game Will Play Out
The Saints opened the year with an impact win over a quality opponent, and will not slow down in San Francisco. Brees and the offense are flying high, and could make it hard for the 49ers to keep this one close. San Francisco fans will be disappointed when they start off the 2010-11 betting on NFL season 0-2 after having such high expectations before the year began.
Saints 49ers Betting Pick: Saints
