Getty Best Ball leagues are the first fantasy football contests of the season.
The New Orleans will visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon in their first game without Drew Brees, who suffered a torn ligament in his thumb on his throwing hand and could miss around eight weeks.
The Saints are 1-1 after last Sunday’s 27-9 loss against the Rams. Brees completed 3 of 5 passes for just 38 yards and one interception before his injury and now Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill will have to step up and replace him.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, are 2-0 after beating the Bengals and Steelers by just three points combined. New Orleans won the last meeting between these two teams, 25-20 on October 30, 2016 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
New Orleans Saints (1-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
Sunday, September 22 at 4:25 PM ET
CenturyLink Field
Coverage: CBS
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Jazz Sports
- Saints vs. Seahawks -4.5
- Over/Under: 44.5
New Orleans Saints
The @FedEx Performance of the Game goes to @Cantguardmike 🙌
Teddy Bridgewater will start under center against the Seahawks, he completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards against the Rams and just 14 of 23 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown with one interception in five games (one start) last season. The Saints re-signed Bridgewater to a one-year, $7.25 million fully guaranteed contract in March and he is 17-12 in his career as a starter.
Alvin Kamara ran for just 45 yards on 13 carries and Michael Thomas caught 10 passes for 89 yards but the Rams had a strong performance on defense and an impressive second half from the offense. The Rams outgained the Saints 380-244, they had 20 first downs to 15 from the Saints and won the time of possession 30:21 to 29:39.
Seattle Seahawks
D.K. Metcalf has a 91.1 receiving grade on “Go” routes this season, ranking 1st in the NFL. #Seahawks
The Seahawks go as Russell Wilson goes, and his resilience in last Sunday’s 28-26 road win against the Steelers proved it. Wilson carried the team, completing 29 of 25 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns and he also ran for 22 yards on six carries.
Rashaad Penny ran for 62 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries, Chris Carson had 60 rushing yards on 15 carries, DK Metcalf caught three passes for 61 yards and one touchdown and Tyler Lockett made 10 receptions for 79 yards. The Seahawks outgained the Steelers 425-261, they had 25 first downs to 17 from the Steelers and won the time of possession 35:46 to 24:14.
Trends and Prediction
The New Orleans Saints are:
- 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss
- 0-6 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss
- 0-5 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning record
- 0-6 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 14 points
- 0-7 ATS in their last seven games overall
The Seattle Seahawks are:
- 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 90 rushing yards in their previous game
- 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games against NFC opponents
- 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games in Week 3
- 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games after accumulating more than 150 rushing yards in their previous game
- 25-10-3 ATS in their last 38 games after accumulating more than 250 passing yards in their previous game
- 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall
I can’t see Teddy Bridgewater or Taysom Hill leading a productive offense. Alvin Kamara has to generate an effective ground game to relieve pressure against a stingy Seahawks run defense and if the Saints want to be in this game, Michael Thomas has to be dominant against a Seattle secondary that has looked vulnerable, especially in the season opener against the Bengals.
The Saints will have their chances but it will not be enough, the home team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings between these two teams and Russell Wilson will find a way and lead the Seahawks to an important home win and cover.
Pick: Seahawks -4.5
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