The New Orleans Saints (0-0) open their season at the Atlanta Falcons (0-0) in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Saints vs. Falcons odds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.
The Saints and Falcons split their series 1-1 last year. But they have had arguably diverting offseasons.
The Saints WR Michael Thomas, who missed the 2021 season with an ankle injury, is questionable. He said he is playing, though. QB Jameis Winston went 5-2 in 2021 before he, too, got injured and missed the rest of the season. But he will be ready for Week 1, and optimism is high in New Orleans. The Saints are +350 to win the division, and it’s certainly possible if they can stay healthy.
The Falcons, on the other hand, traded their franchise QB Matt Ryan to the Colts after a 7-10 season. Former Raiders’ backup Marcus Mariota will be under center to start the season, and their main pass catcher is TE Kyle Pitts, who in his rookie year had 1,026 yards with only 1 TD.