Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints 2020: Prediction Against The Spread, Odds For Week 3
The betting odds for the Week 3 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints don’t reflect how the two teams have played in the early part of the 2020 NFL season.
New Orleans is a three-point favorite Sunday night against the visiting Packers, according to the point spreads compiled by OddsShark. The betting line has only moved slightly after the Saints’ uninspiring performance on “Monday Night Football” against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Saints suffered the biggest upset of Week 2, losing to the Raiders 34-24. New Orleans was outscored by 20 points in the game’s final 35 minutes. Much of the talk after the contest revolved around Drew Brees’ ineffectiveness.
There haven’t been any such discussions about Green Bay’s future Hall of Fame quarterback through two weeks. The MVP-version of Aaron Rodgers has shown up to start the season, leading the defending NFC North champions to a 2-0 start.
Rodgers has thrown for 604 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions, overcoming a ton of drops by his receivers. The veteran has a 119.4 passer rating and has only been sacked once.
Aaron Jones leads the league in rushing, coming off a 168-yard performance in Green Bay’s 42-21 victory over the Detroit Lions. With an elite passer and the top running back, the Packers rank first in the NFL with 7.1 yards per play.
Green Bay also leads the league in total offense and points per game. The Packers are the only team that has scored more than 40 points in both weeks, outsourcing their opponents by an NFC-best 30 points.
The Saints are 18th in yards per play and 21st in total offense.
Entering the season with the best Super Bowl odds of any NFC team, New Orleans was expected to have an elite offense. The Saints were third in points per game in 2019. They haven’t ranked worse than fourth in scoring since 2016.
Brees appears to be showing his age, engineering an offense that is predicated on short passes. The 41-year-old is averaging 4.82 air yards per pass, which is the fewest for any quarterback through two games since Brett Favre in 2009.
Star receiver Michael Thomas didn’t play Monday night with an ankle injury. It isn’t yet known if he’ll suit up in Week 3.
New Orleans handily defeated Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-23 in the opener. They have a habit of getting off to poor starts, last beginning the year with a 2-0 record in 2013. That hasn’t stopped the Saints from winning three consecutive NFC South titles.
The Saints are third in opponents’ yards per play.
The Packers rank 27th in yards per play allowed and are giving up 27.5 points per game. If Thomas returns, New Orleans’ offense can play well. Sunday’s over/under is 53.5.
But considering the way both quarterbacks have looked through two weeks, it’d be hard to bet against Rodgers as an underdog.
Prediction: Green Bay over New Orleans, 30-26
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