Preseason football is a bit of an odd bird in that we, as fans, lap it up even though we know we are going to see mistakes aplenty and very little of the guys who make this game so great. It’s easy to understand the obsession, though, as the football offseason is a long one. There are some serious withdrawals among fans and bettors alike, which is why everyone is so keen to soak up as much playoff football as possible. From an NFL betting standpoint, there is something valuable to be learned from these games, the most obvious of which is that we get to see the depth of every team in the league. This helps us determine how a team might perform if they lose a starter or two during the regular season.
We all think we know that the New Orleans Saints are going to be good this year, but what happens if Brees goes down. None of us really know much about the prospects of the Arizona Cardinals other than that they are probably not going to be great. We will get a closer look at those two teams when they hook up in New Orleans on Friday night in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
It was certainly a different type of performance than we are used to seeing from New Orleans, as they spent more time running the football than they did putting it in the air, something that will almost certainly change when Brees get backs under center. We might get a little glimpse of Brees with this being the home opener for the Saints, although it will likely be for a single series, if at all.
Cardinals at Saints 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Spread & Pick
- When: Friday, August 17 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans
- TV: NFL Network
- Radio: TuneIn
- 2018 NFL Preseason Week 2 Spread: New Orleans Saints -3 (Total 42.5)
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: New Orleans Saints lead 6-4
- Score: Arizona Cardinals 22.00 / New Orleans Saints 26.90
- Rush Yards: Arizona Cardinals 113.30 / New Orleans Saints 100.00
- Pass Attempts: Arizona Cardinals 34.90 / New Orleans Saints 37.60
- Completion Percentage: Arizona Cardinals 61.32 / New Orleans Saints 65.96
- Passing Yards: Arizona Cardinals 238.10 / New Orleans Saints 274.40
- Total Yards: Arizona Cardinals 351.4 / New Orleans Saints 374.4
- Turnovers: Arizona Cardinals 2.20 / New Orleans Saints 1.40
Why bet on the Arizona Cardinals?
The Cardinals believe that they got their QB of the future when they drafted Josh Rosen, but unlike other QB’s drafted early, he is not under the same amount of pressure to perform right now. The Cardinals went out and picked up veteran QB Sam Bradford to act as a placeholder until Rosen is ready, and with Mike Glennon also on staff, the rookie may end up 3rd in the depth chart. That said, Glennon was pretty awful in the Cardinals opener, a surprising 24-17 win over the LA Chargers. Rosen did not post great numbers, but he looked comfortable and showed signs that he has what it takes to be an NFL QB. The opening week win for the Cardinals was a strange one when you consider that they managed about 150 yards of total offense. A fumble return for a TD certainly helped their cause there.Why bet on the New Orleans Saints?
The New Orleans Saints have some big expectations placed upon them after a wonderful season in 2017. They finally have a running game to work with, which takes some of the pressure off of Drew Brees. The veteran QB did not see any time on the field in the opening game of the preseason for the Saints, a 24-20 win over the Jaguars.
It was certainly a different type of performance than we are used to seeing from New Orleans, as they spent more time running the football than they did putting it in the air, something that will almost certainly change when Brees get backs under center. We might get a little glimpse of Brees with this being the home opener for the Saints, although it will likely be for a single series, if at all.
