NFL Betting Odds For The New Orleans Saints Division Position

• The New Orleans Saints have (+145) short odds to finish 2nd in the NFC South.
• The Saints were first in the division last season but ultimately lost in the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• New Orleans still has not decided on who their starting QB will be which could affect their overall odds.

NEW ORLEANS – NFL betting fans can wager on teams’ divisional standings right now and the New Orleans Saints are the perfect team to bet on for the NFC South.

The Saints had the best record in their division last season and the team itself has mostly retained its core, although legendary QB Drew Brees did retire and he was seen by many as the heart of the Saints.

While New Orleans will be moving into a new direction as an organization, NFL betting enthusiasts could cash in big on their divisional standings odds should New Orleans perform better or even worse than expected.

Reasons The Saints May Finish 1st

The Saints have longshot odds to finish first in the division with betting fans leaning towards them finishing in second.

New Orleans is coming into the 2021-2022 NFL season with the almost-full return of their defensive line which was ranked in the top 5 of the league in 2020. DB P.J. Williams, G James Hurst, G Will Clapp, DE Noah Spence, and DB J.T. Gray all resigned during the offseason.

The Saints also had a top 5 offense last season and are seeing the return of RB Dwayne Washington and WR Ty Montgomery.

While Drew Brees was a big part of the organization and why the offense was so strong last season, the defense should still remain among the best in the league.

Additionally, with the talent remaining on offense, New Orleans could win enough games to retain the number one spot in the NFC South. This would make the (+325) long odds for the Saints very appealing to sports bettors.

Reasons The Saints May Not Finish 1st

Of course, losing Drew Brees is not going to be a simple thing for New Orleans to recover from. Brees played 20 seasons with the Saints and teams seldom recover immediately after losing the main pillar of their roster. It will take some time for the Saints to adjust to playing on a field where Brees isn’t leading them.

What hurts New Orleans is the fact that they still have yet to determine who the starting QB will be as the coaching staff remains split between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.

“This one is pretty obvious in New Orleans, where the Saints have a job opening for the first time in 16 years, following Drew Brees’ retirement,” said Mike Triplett, ESPN journalist. “(So far it’s still too close to call between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, who have both performed mostly well taking turns with the first string in practice.) But the QBs aren’t alone. The Saints also have major voids at CB and WR, among other spots, with at least 10 new starters expected in Week 1.”

What also lies as a negative for the Saints is the rest of their division. The main opponent to look out for is the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have had more time in the offseason to build tremendous chemistry and have Tom Brady as their QB for the second season in a row. Brady is easily the best QB in the division and was able to bring Tampa a Super Bowl win in his first season with the team.

Additionally, the Carolina Panthers have improved during the offseason which could see them overtake New Orleans in the division if their QB situation becomes detrimental to overall team wins.

Looking at long odds for the Saints to finish third or fourth in the division could also net big wins at regulated sports betting sites depending on how the season goes.

News tags: football | Jameis Winston | Mike Triplett | New Orleans Saints | NFC South | NFL | NFL Betting | Prop Bets | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Taysom Hill | Tom Brady