San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints NFL Betting Preview

Sunday afternoon features a matchup of NFC West versus South as the San Francisco 49ers (4-5) take on the New Orleans Saints (6-2) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 pm ET.
Despite being just a game under .500, the 49ers find themselves in last place in a loaded NFC West. Having battled injuries all season, San Francisco will have a tough task to get back to even playing on the road against the Saints. They have lost two in a row and are trying to end the skid before it hits three.
Speaking of New Orleans, they come into this one with a half-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After drubbing them last week 38-3, the Saints are in a good spot to take control of the division. They will look to keep it rolling at home, where they are 3-1.
The Saints are the overwhelming favorites in this matchup. They are currently -450 to win while the 49ers’ Moneyline sits at +350. The spread features San Francisco +9.5 while the over/under is 48.5.
By The Numbers
New Orleans has been lethal on offense both through the air and on the ground. In their rushing attack, they rank 11th overall averaging 121.6 yards per game. Through the air, they are 9th in the NFL, averaging 268.5 yards per game.
Despite all of their injury woes, the San Francisco 49ers are still a top-10 defense. They currently rank 10th in points allowed per game at just 23.
49ers Hope To End Skid
The San Francisco 49ers have been impacted more by injuries than just about any other team in football. Their quarterback (Jimmy Garropolo), running back (Raheem Mostert), and several defensive players have been injured this season. Still, the games must go on, and the 49ers will look to end a two-game skid.
The 49ers do get a couple of weapons back for this game. After missing last week due to COVID-19 protocols, the 49ers will get wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne back as well as offensive tackle Trent Williams.
Nick Mullens will get another shot at quarterback this season. Last week, Mullens threw for 291 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He did have quite the connection last week with Richie James, who went for nine receptions, 184 yards, and a touchdown.
New Orleans Looks To Defend Home Field
After decimating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, the Saints have to be riding high, especially now that they are in a good spot in their division heading into Week 10. They will try to keep it going by trying to defend their home field and move to seven wins.
Dealing with a shoulder injury, Drew Brees is officially questionable but is likely to go in this one. On the season, Brees has thrown for 2,120 yards, 17 touchdowns, and three interceptions. While he may not be an elite quarterback anymore, he is still a Hall-of-Fame talent that can obviously lead his team to success.
The best player on the Saints’ offense, though, has to be running back Alvin Kamara. This season, he has rushed 96 times for 471 yards and five touchdowns. He has been even more dangerous through the air with 60 receptions or 565 yards and another three scores.
Saints Win, But Can They Cover?
This one is pretty straight forward in terms of the head-to-head matchup. The Saints are just the superior team due to all of the injuries the 49ers are dealing with. It is the spread that becomes an interesting bet.
Last week, the 49ers showed their vulnerability to a high-scoring offense as they lost big to the Packers. With Brees, Kamara, and Michael Thomas in the mix, I have difficulty seeing them keeping this one close. It is a big spread, but I am taking the Saints despite laying the 9.5 points.