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Posts Tagged ‘New Orleans Saints’

January 7th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It might be one of the great mismatches of our time in the NFL playoffs, and it might be one of the most sterling upsets in the history of the league. We clearly have a David vs. Goliath situation on our hands on Saturday afternoon at Qwest Field in NFL betting action, as the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints, take on the only team in major sports to win a division and get into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record, the Seattle Seahawks.

Matchup: New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks
Date: Saturday, January 8th, 4:30 ET
Location: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Game Line: New Orleans -10.5
Over/Under 44.5

Saints Notes: Pretty much everything here is in the favor of the Saints in this one, as they are really in a great spot. They were a great road team this year at 6-2, and they know that they can beat some of the best teams in the land; a road win over the Atlanta Falcons, the top seed in the NFC playoffs proved that from a few weeks ago. Still, there are questions surrounding the running game, which is essentially going to be a cut and paste mish mosh between RB Julius Jones and RB Reggie Bush. The two only had about 300 rushing yards on the year between them, but the rest of the running backs in this core are all on IR. That means that the pressure is on the lap of QB Drew Brees, who really does have the chance to be a hero for the city of New Orleans for the second straight year. He threw for 4,620 yards and 31 TDs this year, and his only bugaboo is 22 INTs. The trio of wide outs on this squad, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Robert Meachem is one of the best in the land, as these three combined for almost 200 receptions, over 2,400 yards, and 20 TDs between them. Where New Orleans has really improved from last season is defensively. This unit is no longer a liability, as it ranked No. 4 in the league in total 'D' at 306.2 yards per game and No. 7 in scoring at 19.2 points per game. We also know that without the terrible efforts of the special teams and the overabundance of turnovers by Brees, this unit could have allowed even as few as 14 or so points per night.

Seahawks Notes: Short of some fantastic prayers, great special teams play, and the resurgence of either an offense or a defense that really hasn't been around all season long, the Seahawks certainly look like they are going to have a very short stay in the second season this year. It isn't often that you see a team rank No. 28 overall in offense and No. 27 overall in defense and still make the playoffs, but then again, you don't normally see a team that is 6-9 controlling its own destiny for the postseason going into the last week of the regular season. The good news is that QB Matt Hasselbeck is back, and he already knows what it takes to bring his team to the Super Bowl. He threw for 3,001 yards and 12 TDs against 17 picks this season, one which will surely be one of the last of his career. Hasselbeck loves looking for WR Mike Williams, a former USC Trojan just like Head Coach Pete Carroll. Williams really has revived his career this year, catching 65 passes for 751 yards and a pair of scores. The problem is that there isn't another receiver with even 40 catches or even 500 yards on the season, and no one had more than four TDs as a receiver. To make matters worse, the rushing game ranked dead last in the conference and second to last in the NFL. RB Marshawn Lynch came over to Seattle early in the year, but he only averaged 3.5 yards per carry and had just 573 yards and six TDs to show for his work. RB Justin Forsett had just 523 yards and two TDs.

The Final Word: Though it would be a great story to see Seattle spring the upset, we just don't see any way that the Saints are doing anything but winning this game by at least three TDs. This is the big time right now, and there aren't going to be any letdowns from New Orleans' perspective. Brees knows that he just has to be good and doesn't have to force things. If that's the case, this should be an easy romp through Qwest Field in what could be another run to the Super Bowl for the fantastic Saints.

Free Pro Football Picks: New Orleans -10.5
Prediction: New Orleans 38 – Seattle 10

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December 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The playoff picture in the NFC has gotten very, very interesting for Monday Night Football this week, and it all wraps up with a clash between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. These two teams certainly do not like each other, and they played a fantastic duel the first time around in Week 4. K Garrett Hartley missed a chip shot field goal attempt in overtime that would have won the game and put the NFC South at a deadlock. Now, with a two game edge, the Falcons have a chance to put a stranglehold on the conference. Check out our Monday Night Football picks for one of the biggest games of the year!

Matchup: New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons
Date: Monday, December 27th, 8:30 ET
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Game Line: Atlanta -2.5
Over/Under 49.5

Saints Notes: With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning this week, the pressure is really on the Saints, who know that they need to win this game to avoid what could be a do or die duel against the visiting Bucs next week at the Superdome. Winning this one still leaves a chance there to win the NFC South and the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. Two very notable injuries really could be harmful to the offense's efforts. WR Robert Meachem is the lesser known injury, as he suddenly popped up on the injury report with a toe injury. RB Chris Ivory really needs to get into the fold again, as he has become a critical part of the running game with both RB Reggie Bush and RB Pierre Thomas missing a good chunk of the season. Now, Ivory is the one that is down with a hamstring injury that cost him last week's loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, QB Drew Brees is once again going to have all the pressure in the world on his back. He has already thrown the ball 571 times this year, and he has 4,122 yards and 31 TDs this year. The problem he has is that he has also thrown 19 picks, one of the highest totals in the NFL. WR Marques Colston is the top target for Brees on the year. He has caught 82 passes for 1,002 yards and seven TDs. WR Lance Moore has been the unsung hero as the slot receiver. He has 56 grabs for 662 yards, and he leads the team with eight trips to the end zone on offense. Defensively, allowing at least 27 points three times over the course of the last four weeks really leaves some room for pessimism against one of the best teams that the league has to offer.

Falcons Notes: The equation for the Falcons is simple. They need to win this game or win next week against the Carolina Panthers to snare the top seed in the NFC South. This task really shouldn't be all that difficult considering the fact that QB Matt Ryan has only been beaten once in his career at home. The numbers here just aren't that impressive, as it isn't often that you see a team that is 12-2 that averages 349.4 yards per game and is allowing 332.9 yards per game. Both numbers are very middling in relation to the rest of the league, but the job is still getting done when push comes to shove. Ryan has a lot of great help at his disposal this year, but we can't discount the job that he has done. The former Boston College Eagle has thrown for 3,321 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. RB Michael Turner ran wild on the Saints the first time around in one of his five 100+ yard games on the ground this year. He has 1,256 yards and 11 TDs this year, and he is certainly one of the most used running backs in the NFL. WR Roddy White is arguably the best receiver in the league this year. He has 106 receptions, 1,284 yards, and eight TDs. Don't forget about TE Tony Gonzalez, though. The future Hall of Famer has caught 62 passes for 591 yards and five TDs. Defensively, the secondary has had its moments of failure for the second straight season, but the pass rush this year really has been great. DE John Abraham has picked up 12 sacks this year, and he is well on his way to being one of the top sack leaders in the game.

The Final Word: Atlanta really needs to just put this one away and just move on to the playoffs. The Saints are a solid team, but they really are up against it in this one. As they found out last week at the Ravens, winning on the road in this league is very, very difficult. The task of stopping the Falcons at the Georgia Dome is darn near impossible, though. Atlanta really did outplay New Orleans at the Superdome three months ago, and we wouldn't be surprised if we have the exact same result again on Monday.

Free Pro Football Picks: Atlanta -2.5
Prediction: Atlanta 27- New Orleans 17

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November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Dallas Cowboys have hit their stride in recent weeks and have finally started playing some great ball just in time for the holidays. However, the New Orleans Saints are still in search of a playoff spot in the tightly contested NFC and would love to pick up this NFL betting 'W' on Thursday afternoon.

Matchup: New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys
Date: Thursday, November 25th, 4:15 ET
Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Dallas +3.5
Over/Under 51.5

Saints Notes: The biggest concern that the Saints have right now is whether or not RB Reggie Bush is going to be back in the lineup. Many thought that he would be back last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but HC Sean Peyton elected to hold him back for a few more days to get ready for the bigger test against Dallas. RB Pierre Thomas has been back at practice as well, and though he isn't quite ready to come back to the team as of yet, getting back either one will help out a squad that only has four rushing TDs for the entire season. Needless to say, this has piled a ton of pressure on the right arm of QB Drew Brees, as he has had to carry this entire offense at times by himself. Brees will become the fourth quarterback in the NFL to reach the 3,000 yard barrier on Thursday afternoon, as he already has 2,969 yards and 22 TDs. New Orleans is averaging 286.8 yards per game through the air and 382.3 yards per game in total, both marks of which leave it in the Top 5 in the NFL. Defensively, things are significantly better than they appear. Statistically, this is already a great team, as the Saints rank No. 4 in the league in total defense and scoring defense and No. 2 in pass defense. However, they have had a number of scores against them either directly or indirectly courtesy of the offense and special teams, and if you take those scores away, New Orleans is allowing less than 13 points per game. Brees has thrown for more touchdowns than teams have scored against the Saints defense this year.

Cowboys Notes: The Cowboys have put forth their two best efforts of the entire season since getting Interim HC Jason Garrett in command of the troops. HC Wade Phillips had watched his team give up at least 34 points in four of his last five games before getting fired, and Garrett has come in and kept the New York Giants and Detroit Lions to a total of just 39 points in two games. Things are looking great this year for WR Miles Austin, TE Jason Witten, and WR Dez Bryant. Those three already all have over 500 yards this year, and all three could threaten the 1,000 yard barrier when the season is said and done. QB Jon Kitna is doing a nice job taking care of this offense in the absence of QB Tony Romo. Kitna has thrown for 1,223 yards and ten scores against seven picks in numbers that looks awfully comparable to those of his injured predecessor. The problem that Dallas has right now is that it cannot run the football. We're still puzzled as to why as well, as all three of RB Marion Barber, RB Felix Jones, and RB Tashard Choice are all still in the lineup on a regular basis and none have been injured. Over his career, LB DeMarcus Ware has accounted for 73 sacks. If he can get 1.5 more on Thursday against a New Orleans team that he ripped to shreds last year, he'll be at double digits for the fifth straight campaign. Stopping Ware is going to be paramount for the Saints to be able to win on Thanksgiving Day.

The Final Word: The Saints might be on the verge of missing out on the playoffs, but they are a lot better than a 7-3 record would suggest, particularly defensively. If that defense can get the job done against a relatively one dimensional Dallas offense and can get some good things going on the ground with a healthy combination of Bush and/or Thomas, Brees should be able to pick apart a questionable secondary for a ton of yards and a ton of points. New Orleans should rock and roll and get some real revenge for last season's loss to the boys from Big D.

Free Pro Football Picks: New Orleans -3.5
Prediction: New Orleans 41 – Dallas 27

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September 19th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The 2010 NFL betting action continues on Monday night, as the second week of action finishes up with the duel at Candlestick Park between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers.  Below is our free monday night pick and anylasis for this big week 2 MNF matchup. 

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers (+6)
Monday, September 20th
8:30 ET, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA

Saints Notes: The Saints are coming off of a very ho hum 14-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings in which they really didn't play the role of the defending champs all that well. It wasn't a particularly great game for the Vikes, a bunch that might not legitimately be a playoff team this year. If the Saints are going to play like this all season long, they are going to be in for a rude awakening when they run into road games and games against some of their best teams on the schedule. QB Drew Brees only threw for 237 yards, which would only put him on a pace for 3,792 yards for the season. New Orleans fans are going to be looking for at least 275 yards from their franchise quarterback. One TD pass and no picks is a good ratio, but more points than that are going to need to hit the scoreboard to get this team back into the playoffs with a shot of winning the NFC in the regular season. RB Reggie Bush really didn't touch the ball that much either, which is a bit of surprise considering his explosive nature. Bush only had two carries for 14 yards and five receptions for 33 yards on the day. RB Pierre Thomas is clearly going to be the important man in the backfield this year. He had an admirable day on the ground, carrying the pill 19 times for 71 yards and a TD against one of the stoutest defensive fronts in all of football. New Orleans' defense only led Minnesota get into the end zone one time, a trend which needs to keep up if the offense is going to struggle this much.

49ers Notes: 49ers HC Mike Singletary called a 31-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks a dose of "good medicine" in the media this week, and he is insistent that that medicine is going to be what cures his team from the media hype at the start of the season. Nothing would get the media off of his butt more than a big win on primetime football against the defending champs! In order to do that, the Niners are going to have to perform better in the red zone. In the first half, they had a chance to take a 21-0 lead early, but in three trips to the red zone, San Fran mustered one turnover and two short field goals. Needless to say, it didn't get back to the red zone again and was trampled from there. Where have you gone, Frank Gore? The top back for the 49ers got plenty of touches in Week 1, as he had 17 carries and six receptions. However, a total of 83 yards, 45 of which came in the receiving game just isn't going to cut it. New Orleans is known for having a relatively weak front seven, and if that front seven is going to get exploited, Gore needs to do a lot better than a shade over two yards per carry in this game. Watch for TE Vernon Davis to have himself a stellar outing. The Saints allowed TE Visanthe Shiancoe to tear them up last week, and Davis can do much of the same against a weak middle of the defense as well on Monday. Davis led the team last week with eight receptions and 73 yards.

The Final Word: The Saints need to be very careful in this one. San Fran has woken up several times before in the Singletary era, and its response to his recent tirade in the Seattle media might just be the key to coming out and knocking off the defending champs. The 49ers badly need this one to solidify that they are indeed the top team in the NFC West and that last week's game was a bit of a fluke.

Free Monday Night Football Pick: 49ers 27 – Saints 24

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September 8th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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In our first of a series of NFL picks for the year here at Cappers Info, we are set to dissect the duel between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings, which will kick off the NFL betting season on Thursday night in the Bayou.

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints (-5)
Thursday, September 9th
8:30 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Vikings Notes: Injuries are really starting to mount on the Vikings in a hurry. We already know that WR Sidney Rice is going to miss the first half of the season with a hip injury, and there is still a big time question whether or not WR Percy Harvin is going to be able to suit or not with his migraine problem that helped ruin his preseason. DB Cedric Griffin and DT Jimmy Kennedy are considered doubtful, while RB Toby Gerhart has a sprained knee and is questionable. If all of these players can't suit up, there is going to be a boatload of pressure on QB Brett Favre and RB Adrian Peterson. "All Day" was virtually abused last year, and he could be in for another season of having to carry the load for the men in purple. He rushed for 1,383 yards and 18 TDs on a whopping 314 carries. If you add that to his 43 receptions, Peterson averaged getting 22.3 touches per game in the regular season. Favre played like an MVP last season, completing 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,202 yards and a 33-7 TD-INT ratio, but that doesn't mean that he is going to be capable of pulling this off again. Favre was knocked around incredibly hard by the Saints last year in the NFC Championship Game, and though he ultimately fought through it, he has shown signs of rust as well in the preseason. With a newly cut and pasted together receiving corps, Favre could be in some trouble, especially at the ripe age of 40.

Saints Notes: Playing in New Orleans isn't a fun thing whatsoever. The Saints dominated both the Houston Texans and San Diego Chargers in the Superdome this preseason, winning by a combined score of 74-41. They've only lost one game of any real consequence there since October 2008, which ironically came against these Vikings. New Orleans has very few injury woes to worry about, though the man that was arguably the heart and soul of the defense, SS Darren Sharper won't be suiting in this one. QB Drew Brees is locked and loaded with basically the exact same crop of receivers that he had last year, a significantly different story from the one in Minneapolis. Though Brees didn't nearly hit the 600+ pass attempt mark like he did two seasons ago, he did throw for 4,388 yards and 34 TDs in 2009, making it one of the best seasons in his career. Losing RB Mike Bell is going to hurt quite a bit, as Bell was the second leading rusher on the team a year ago with 654. That only got compounded with the losses of RBs Lynell Hamilton and PJ Hill to season ending injuries in the preseason. Still, expect to see the combination of WR Marques Colston, WR Devery Henderson, WR Robert Meachem, and TE Jeremy Shockey catching a ton of balls for the black and gold this year.

The Final Word: Minnesota has dominated this series in the past, going 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS over the L/5 duels against the Saints. However, New Orleans won the war last time around with a 31-28 overtime victory in which the spread didn't matter to a single soul in the Bayou. All five have gone 'over' the 'total' as well. Still, we are leaning towards the Saints busting that trend on Thursday night, as they are going to be hyped up, especially with that fancy Super Bowl XLIV banner being raised before the game.

Prediction: Saints 37 – Vikings 20

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August 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The defending Super Bowl champions are back at it on Friday night with an NFL preseason betting war, as the New Orleans Saints try to tackle the San Diego Chargers in a nationally televised game seen on CBS.

San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints (-3.5)
Friday, August 27th
8:00 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Chargers Notes: The Bolts are going to be playing their first preseason betting affair on Friday night after splitting a pair of games both SU and ATS at the friendly confines of Qualcomm Stadium. Though this is supposed to be a game in which the starters play at least a half of football if not into the third quarter, we still aren't sure whether the heart and soul of the defense, LB Shawne Merriman will be giving it a go or not. "Lights Out" has had his lights turned off thanks to an Achilles injury that leaves him listed as questionable for this one in New Orleans. With the Astroturf on the ground in the Superdome, San Diego might lean towards leaving Merriman on the sidelines. One man that will certainly not be sidelined is RB Ryan Mathews. The rookie out of Fresno State is already starting to live up to the hype that he started taking when he was picked as the preseason favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He has rushed for a team high 103 yards, though he is still looking for his first professional touchdown in this, his third game of the preseason. The defense for the Bolts has been stifling so far in the preseason. The team ranks first in the league against the rush (51.0 YPG), fifth against the pass (154.0 YPG), second in total defense (205.0 YPG), and eighth in points allowed (13.0). To top that off, opposing teams have only found the end zone twice against San Diego this year.

Saints Notes: New Orleans is going to look to change all of those defensive numbers this week when they welcome the Chargers to town. This is one of the highest flying offenses in the league right now, as New Orleans is averaging a league best 31.0 points per game in its exhibitions. However, whereas the Saints have traditionally been a pass first team, that hasn't been the case in the preseason. QB Drew Brees has done very little, as he hasn't even cracked 100 passing yards in two games. Third stringer QB Chase Daniel has put up respectable numbers, throwing for 232 yards and three TDs against two picks, but the real damage has come on the ground. Four rushers have at least 50 yards on the ground so far in the preseason. RB Christopher Ivy leads the way with 26 carries, 96 yards, and a TD. RB Reggie Bush has crossed the end zone twice and has 66 yards on 12 carries, while projected starter RB Pierre Thomas has 51 yards on 15 carries. The problem here is the health of the fourth of those running backs, PJ Hill. Hill, a second year man out of Wisconsin, suffered a season ending injury last week which only further depletes a rushing core that is significantly weaker than it seems based on preseason numbers. Ivory, Bush, and Thomas are the only three running backs of any merit left on the team, as Lynell Hamilton was already erased for the year in training camp before the preseason started.

The Final Word: Still, the Saints are ready to march forward with one more comfortable victory before the regular season gets started in a couple weeks. New Orleans has a lot to prove in this game, as the Chargers are projected to potentially have the best record in the NFL this year. The Saints would love nothing more than to both get the passing game going and to make a statement to one of the best teams that the AFC has to offer as it continues its Super Bowl XLIV defense.

Prediction: Saints 27 – Chargers 16

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August 19th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Crescent City will get its first look at its defending Super Bowl champions this season when they debut at the Superdome, as the New Orleans Saints play the Houston Texans.

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints (+1)
Saturday, August 21st
8:00 ET, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Texans Notes: Things appear to be set for the passing game for the Texans in 2010. Perhaps there was never really much of a doubt after they finished with the top rated passing unit in the league last year. QB Matt Schaub came out of the blocks and completed five of his six passes against the Arizona Cardinals, including a 44 yard touchdown strike to WR Andre Johnson. Johnson, who is significantly happier now that he has a new contract, had three catches for 59 yards and that touchdown in the opening quarter. The defense looked sharp as well, as DE Mario Williams picked up two sacks as a part of an effort in which the 'D' was pitching a shutout for three quarters. However, there wasn't much else to be happy about. RB Ben Tate suffered a potentially serious ankle injury after just two carries, which could put his 2010 season in danger. Between Tate's injury and the fumbling problems of Steve Slaton which reared their ugly head once again last week, HC Gary Kubiak is running out of rushing options. Expect to see more out of RB Arian Foster after his strong ending to the 2009 season and could be in line for a big year this season in the Lone Star State. On the injury front, both LB Xavier Adibi and WR/KR Trindon Holliday are questionable. Holliday had a decent debut for Houston, returning four kicks for 86 yards in his professional debut. The Texans blew their 16-0 lead through three quarters by allowing 19 unanswered in the fourth.

Saints Notes: You don't normally end up getting revved up for a preseason game, but this could be a big exception this week for the Saints. They aren't exactly hanging their banners for their Super Bowl triumph quite yet, but to come home for the first time after the city's first championship has to be exhilarating, especially for the first teamers. QB Drew Brees got his campaign this year off to a good start, as he completed nine of his 13 passes for 55 yards in limited action in a 27-24 defeat at the New England Patriots. Things for backup QBs Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel didn't go as well, but both were able to put points on the board. RB Reggie Bush notched the first score of the season on a two yard touchdown run in the second quarter. However, that was the only New Orleans score on a 24-7 run by the Pats that opened the game up. Still, the backups were good enough to bring the team back to a 24-24 tie with right around two minutes to play. A field goal with less than a minute left sent the Saints to defeat, though. New Orleans was outgained 329-305 in the game, but the offensive line looked okay, giving up just one sack. The defensive line picked up a pair of sacks, but the 'D' as a whole failed to force a turnover. For a defense that thrived on taking chances and creating turnovers last season, seeing a goose egg on the board in that department, even if in the preseason, is unacceptable.

The Final Word: There is just going to be too much riding in this one for the Saints to be beaten. There is no reason for them to be underdogs in this game, even if the defense does end up looking shoddy at best. Expect Brees and the offense to stay on the field just a tad longer than most starters would at this juncture of the season, as the city of New Orleans would love to open up with a 'W' by the Bayou. Expect the fans clad in black and gold to see just that with a comfortable NFL preseason betting triumph.

Prediction: Saints 27 – Texans 14

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January 30th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

Super Bowl XLIV betting action commences on Sunday February 7th, and this matchup is one of the most anticipated in years. The New Orleans Saints (15-3, 9-9 ATS) and Indianapolis Colts (16-2, 12-5-1 ATS) will engage in NFL gambling warfare in what has the potential to be one of the most electrifying Super Bowls of all-time. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas originally opened the Colts as 3.5-point favorites, but that line has since shot up as high as six at some offshore sportsbooks. The Super Bowl wagering odds feature a 'total' of 56.5, and you can find those lines right now at BetUS Sportsbook.

New Orleans is the decided underdog of this game largely due to the fact that its quarterback's name isn't Peyton Manning. QB Drew Brees put up very comparable numbers to those of the future Hall of Famer in the regular season though, as he threw for 4,388 yards and 34 TDs against 11 INTs in 15 starts. Manning ended the regular season with 4,500 passing yards and 33 touchdowns versus 16 picks.

Manning does seem to have more quality weapons at his disposal than does Brees, but again, the discrepancy is probably a lot closer than one would think. Brees' top targets are WRs Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Robert Meachem. That trio of receivers combined to catch a whopping 166 passes for 2,600 yards, and 20 TDs in the regular season. Manning has utilized WRs Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon more in the postseason than he is accustomed to, but those two both put up comparable numbers to the best of what New Orleans has to offer. Even though the Saints will utilize both RBs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas more than the Colts will use RB Joseph Addai in the passing game, what Indy has that New Orleans doesn't is that one big-time receiver that will always be there as a security blanket for Manning. WR Reggie Wayne caught 100 passes in the regular season for 1,264 yards and ten TDs. There may not be a better tight end in the league in the passing game than Dallas Clark, who also had 100 receptions and ten visits to the end zone in the regular season.

Neither team focuses in on the rush as much as it does the pass. The Colts threw passes on nearly 63% of their downs in 2009. Addai did score ten rushing touchdowns behind an offensive line than only conceded ten sacks of Manning all season, but his rushing total (828 yards) was pedestrian for a starting running back. New Orleans was a bit more rush-conscious, as it only threw the ball a shade under 55% of the time on the year. Thomas, Bush, and RB Mike Bell all had fantastic regular seasons, as they combined to rush for 1,837 yards and 16 TDs. Much like Indianapolis, the Saints feature an offensive line that does a fantastic job of keeping Brees off of the turf, as he was only sacked 20 times in his 15 starts.

Defensively, the numbers don't lie. Neither squad's strength rests on that side of the football. New Orleans came into the postseason ranked 25th in total 'D', allowing 357.8 yards per game. Indianapolis wasn't much better, conceding 339.2 yards per game, 18th in the NFL. However, both of these teams can put pressure on the quarterback and force turnovers. The Saints forced the second most turnovers in the NFL in the regular season (39), while Indy cashed in on 26 blunders by the opposition. The Colts recorded 34 QB sacks in '09, while the Saints only had one fewer.

All time, the Colts are 2-1 SU and ATS in their franchise's three Super Bowl appearance. New Orleans will be in its first Super Bowl in team history next Sunday. The underdog has covered the football betting lines in back-to-back championship games and is 6-2 ATS and is 3-5 SU over the L/8 Super Bowl gambling matches.

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