2016 NFL New Orleans at Houston Expert Picks

If truth be told, we really learned very little about any of the teams in the NFL this season in the first week of the preseason. That first game is simply designed to be little more than a scrimmage between a bunch of guys who probably won’t be on the team when the real season begins. These games are still fun to watch though for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that we are all starved for football by this point, and any action is good. It’s also fun to see some guys rise to the challenge and end up making the final cut, oftentimes at the expense of a starter that we all thought was a lock. Week 2 gives the fringe guys another shot at glory, and a chance to stick around a little longer. The first cuts are coming soon, and these games may start to decide who stays and who goes. Week 2 preseason action continues on Saturday night, with the New Orleans Saints heading to Houston to face the Texans, who are a 3-point betting odds favorite for this one.

Here’s a Closer Look At The 2016 NFL Saints at Texans Expert Picks

When: Saturday, August 20 at 8 PM ESTWhere: NRG Stadium, HoustonTV: NFL NetworkRadio: Sirius XM RadioNFL Odds: Texans -3  

Why bet on the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have to be a little heartened with their Week 1 performance against the New England Patriots, as they were very competitive in the first half, going in just a point down. Things fell apart a little in the second half, but most of the damage came when the game was down to having the fringe guys on the field. Particularly positive for the Saints was the play of back-up QB Luke McCown who was 18-27 for 143 yards and a TD. He also had a pick in there, but all around it was a very nice performance. He will likely take the majority of the snaps again on Saturday night in Houston, and a similar performance should keep his team in it.

Why bet on the Houston Texans

If these preseason games show us anything at all, it would be just how deep the benches are on each of these teams. Big second half performances tend to show that one team is especially better than another, and the Texans delivered that in their opening week preseason win against the 49ers. Down 13-7 at the half, Houston rallied to win 24-13 with a dominant performance from their reserves in the second half. Back-up QB Tom Savage put in a solid outing, going 14-24 for 168 yards and 2 TD’s. We are still waiting to see what Brock Osweiler can deliver for Houston, but we may have to wait another week before getting an extended look.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This is another game that the Texans should win, especially playing at home, but it may end up being another second half surge that gets them there. Comfortable in the end, though, and probably an easy cover of the 3-point spread.

New Orleans Saints 13 Houston Texans 27