The New Orleans Saints’ “home” opener will take place far from the Crescent City, due to the ongoing damage from Hurricane Ida’s trip through Louisiana. They will host the Green Bay Packers in Jacksonville, and Jameis Winston will make his bid to be the team’s next franchise quarterback after the retirement of Drew Brees. The Packers also have some quarterback drama of their own; despite the return of Aaron Rodgers for one more season, his public remarks indicate an ongoing animus toward the organization that could influence team chemistry.
Let’s take a closer look at your best NFL betting pick for this game.
NFL Preview: Green Bay vs New Orleans (Sunday, September 12)
When: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 4:25 pm ET
Where: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
TV: FOX
Radio: WTMJ 620 AM Milwaukee / WWL 870 AM New Orleans
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Green Bay -3 / O/U 50
Why should you bet on the Packers?
It’s interesting that the point spread has stayed at just three points after this game was moved to Jacksonville. The Packers were already planning to travel, so the only difference for them is that they will play outdoors in the humidity. The Saints, meanwhile, have to deal with the knowledge that their hometown is still going through a lot of problems. That can help teams bond — but the stress can also make it more difficult to focus.
Rodgers has Davante Adams and Randall Cobb to run routes for him, and he has Aaron Jones at the top of a depth chart loaded with fast, powerful tailbacks. The Packers’ defense is better than it has been in recent years — and remember that this is a team that was a couple of questionable coaching decisions and an iffy pass interference penalty away from beating Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship last season. The fact that New Orleans will not have Michael Thomas makes a Packer win even likelier.
Why should you put your money on the Saints?
New Orleans also has an elite defense in the NFL, the sort of unit that can compensate for a few shaky series from the offense. Jameis Winston and Alvin Kamara have the talent to lead the offense on drives; I expect Winston to continue the success he has had with medium-range throws to keep the chains moving, and he might even connect on a couple of those bombs down the sideline like he did in the preseason.
On offense, Alvin Kamara can carry the ball and catch passes out of the backfield. With Thomas out, Kamara will be the focus of the offense, and if he can keep the chains moving and break a couple of big plays, the Saints could build an early lead and then lock down with their defense. It’s hard to lock down Aaron Rodgers for very long, though.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
It’s hard to imagine New Orleans having to pick up everything and head to Jacksonville and still maintain the sort of focus they need to win this game. As long as the line stays down by three, I would jump all over the Packers in this game. I predict a final score of Green Bay 27, New Orleans 20.
NFL Betting Odds
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