The NFL’s second-leading passer, Drew Brees (2,763 yards, 18 TDs), will be on display when the New Orleans Saints (4-5) play the Washington Redskins (3-5). The game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov 15 and can be seen on FOX.
Washington dropped one to the Patriots 27-10 last week. Keenan Robinson led the way for the Washington defense in the loss, totaling four tackles and one interception. New Orleans also fell short, getting beat by the Titans 34-28. Drew Brees had a big game passing the ball for the Saints, completing 28 of 39 passes for 387 yards, three TDs and one interception. Willie Snead contributed with 95 yards on six receptions.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 50 points.
The Redskins enter the game with a current record of 3-5 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, Washington is 2-3 for both SU and ATS. Passing is a big source of success for the Redskins this season, where they complete a league-best 75.0% of their passes at home. Turning to the Redskins defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. One of the keys to the game will be if the Saints can protect the ball against Washington’s aggressive defense. It ranks third in the league in fumbles recovered with one per game. If the game is close late, the Redskins may have an edge. New Orleans finishes games poorly, giving up a league-worst 11.1 points per game in the fourth quarter. Mistakes and a lack of focus could be factors that benefit the Redskins in this game. The Saints are one of the most penalized teams in the league with 8.3 flags per game.
As for their opponent, the Saints have 4-5 SU and 4-4-1 ATS records this season. In the previous five games, New Orleans has a record of 3-2 SU and 2-2-1 ATS. Offensively, the Saints have had greater success scoring in their last five games. They have exceeded their season average of 26.8 points per game by averaging 31 during that stretch. Hopefully Washington’s defense shows up ready to play. It will be matching up against a Saints offense that is gaining yardage at a higher rate as of late, averaging 450.4 total yards over its last five games. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the New Orleans defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. Avoiding fumbles will be crucial for the Redskins against New Orleans’s defense, which has recovered the third-most fumbles on the season with one per game. The Saints don’t waste time early in the game, averaging 7.7 points in the first quarter this year.
Predictions: SU Winner – NO, ATS Winner – NO, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games.
Washington is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington’s last 10 games at home.
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Washington is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington’s last 8 games when playing New Orleans.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans.
New Orleans is 3-1 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Washington is 2-2 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
The New Orleans defense has forced an average of two turnovers over its last five games. Washington is just 1-4 SU this season when turning the ball over at least twice in a game.
New Orleans is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 25th-ranked rushing attack will face the 29th-ranked run defense of Washington, while its 25th-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 27th-ranked run game of the Redskins.
