Two things are working against the Saints this year: They're replacing a future Hall of Fame coach (Sean Payton) with one who was 8-28 in his only opportunity in the NFL (Dennis Allen, Raiders 2012-2014), and Jameis Winston is still their starting quarterback. With no offense meant towards Winston, he's coming off a torn ACL suffered last season and he threw 30 interceptions in his last full season as a starter. New Orleans upgraded their offensive weaponry by drafting rookie wide receiver Chris Olave in the first round and adding veteran Jarvi s Landry from the Browns, not to mention that former All-Pro Michael Thomas return at some point. Alvin Kamara is one of the league's great playmakers, but there's also the potential he might be suspended for up to six games due to an offseason incident in Las Vegas. The defense adds Tyrann Mathieu to an already-stout unit that should be among the league's top ten in yards allowed once again in 2022.
The Saints' early-season schedule is quite manageable despite having to face five 2021 playoff teams in their first ten games. If they can survive the Baltimore-Pittsburgh-LA Rams-San Francisco-Tampa Bay gauntlet with anything better than a 1-4 record, the closing four games, including a Week 17 matchup at Philadelphia, might allow the Saints to sneak into the playoffs.
Caesars Sportsbook puts the Saints' playoff chances at +150. New Orleans has a team that fits the playoff-caliber mold if they're fully healthy. Full health is far from a given in the NFL, though. New Orleans is unlikely to surpass Tampa Bay in the NFC South, Carolina and Atlanta are rebuilding, so a second-place finish should be favored. Despite lackluster quarterback play in 2021, New Orleans finished 9-8 and should expect a somewhat similar result even if Payton no longer is pulling the strings — that similar result might just be on the wrong side of .500.
- More NFL futures:'SportsLine Projection Model's best bets
Below, you'll find the New Orleans Saints 2022 schedule, win total and more futures odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by picks from top SportsLine NFL analysts Larry Hartstein and R.J. White.