Saints vs 49ers matchup preview and current betting lines
It’s been a busy week for the San Francisco 49ers. They’re heading back home after embarrassing the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City, and will now face a much tougher task when they host the pesky New Orleans Saints.
The 49ers still control their own fate in the NFC West, but they know the Seattle Seahawks continue to breathe on their necks and could take them down at the top of their division. That’s why they cannot afford a setback in this matchup.
The same can be said of the New Orleans Saints. Despite some subpar play, they still have a shot at winning their division, perhaps one of the worst in the league this year. Their defense has carried them this far, even with Andy Dalton behind center.
For whatever reason, NFL fans are doomed to watch Dalton as a starter year in and year out, and only a disaster could lead Dennis Allen to give Jameis Winston another shot to prove his worth as their starting quarterback.
Players to watch:
Andy Dalton: Andy Dalton continues to hang on as the New Orleans Saints’ starting QB. He’s coming off perhaps his best performance of the season, so it’s unlikely that he’ll lose his job to Jameis Winston at this point, barring a disaster.
Christian McCaffrey: The rich got richer. The San Francisco 49ers didn’t need Christian McCaffrey, but he fit in right away into their run-heavy offense. He continues to prove that he’s the most disruptive offensive player in the league when healthy.
Week 12 Predictions: NFL Bet of the week on Saints vs 49ers
Saints +9
The opening Saints vs 49ers spread has Kyle Shanahan’s team favored by as many as nine points. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering they currently own a whopping +63 point differential and are riding a three-game winning streak.
The New Orleans Saints are sitting on a 4-7 record and a -18 point differential, but they’ve played much better than what you’d thought from the eye test. Once again, poor QB play has held them back more often than not.
But Dalton is fresh off his best game of the season and maybe the best since losing his job to Joe Burrow. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions to lead the Saints to a 27-20 win over the reigning champions.
Of course, the Rams are no match to the Niners, at least this season, so he’ll face a much more difficult challenge on his trip to Levi’s Stadium. Still, it feels like 9 points against a team that’s just one win below the top of its division is way too much.
Over 43
The opening Saints vs 49ers odds has this game total sitting at just 43 points. This makes sense because both teams take a defensive-first kind of approach, and the San Francisco 49ers make the most of their damage by pounding on the running game.
At first glance, one would never think of a shootout when Andy Dalton is facing off against Jimmy Garoppolo unless there are multiple pick-sixes involved. But hey, one could never rule that possibility out, as both defenses are solid.
But more than multiple giveaways, we cannot ignore the fact that the field will be full of playmakers for both teams. Chris Olave looks like the real deal, especially in the open field, and Alvin Kamara is still one of the elite running backs of the game.
The Niners have Elijah Mitchell, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey looking to wreak havoc on every single snap. Also, they’ve put up 23, 31, 22, and 38 points in their past four games, so that offense is most definitely clicking.
FAQs about Saints vs 49ers
They can both make the playoffs.
Both are good defensive teams.
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