Week five will conclude with an intriguing NFC matchup of potential playoff teams with the Saints hosting Washington. New Orleans has been something of an overlay to start the season. Admittedly the Saints are half a team with great offense and little defense. Washington is coming off an early bye but has been better than expected so far. While the Redskins defense has been a Pro Football betting asset the offense is inconsistent. In the same way the Redskins are learning to adjust to new quarterback Alex Smith. In like manner Washington is struggling to finish drives.
Washington Redskins vs. New Orleans Saints
Date and Time: Monday, October 8, 2018, 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Pro Football Betting odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | +6½ (-110) | 53 (-110) |  |
| Saints | -6½ (-110) | 53 (-110) | |
| |||
Redskins vs. Saints TV Coverage: ESPN
Washington Redskins
Washington’s last game was a 31-17 home Football betting win and payout over Green Bay. In this situation the Redskins are 2-1 both straight up and against the spread with two unders. Alex Smith has shown well with a 102.2 quarterback rating, four touchdown passes with one interception. Granted, Smith has been a good regular season quarterback. Instead its post season where he has a failed reputation. Washington’s defense ranks third overall for defense in the NFL. It follows that the Redskins rank second in the league for points allowed. More emphatically that defense has sparked playoff aspirations.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans has a sports betting record of 3-1 straight up and 2-2 vs. the odds. Additionally, the Saints have split their four games on totals so far this year. Consistent with their reputation is an offense that ranks fourth overall and third for scoring. Following that is a Saints defense that ranks 24th overall and 29th for points against. Quarterback Drew Brees has his usual hot hand with a 115.3 rating. Hence Brees has eight touchdown passes with zero interceptions. Offering support is top running back Alvin Kamara with 4.9 yards per rush and five touchdowns.
Stats to Consider
New Orleans coach Sean Payton has continued to develop a highly productive offense. But what Payton perpetually fails to deliver is an even adequate defense. Supplementing that problem is that the Saints have not been a serious NFC contender for several years. Meanwhile Jay Gruden is the latest Washington coach trying to overcome meddlesome owner Daniel Snyder. Gruden has done better that most of his predecessors. Furthermore, Smith is considered to be a key piece to the playoff puzzle. Correlate a strong start by the defense and optimism is growing in Washington.
Team vs. Team
Washington has come away with the money in their last six games with New Orleans. Besides that, the last five meetings in this series have gone over the total. On the whole the Redskins have covered their last five visits to New Orleans. Four of those five games also went over the total.
Matchup to Watch
As mentioned earlier the Washington defense is a Football betting key to their success. In the second place the Saints defense will offer opportunities to Smith and the Redskins. Specifically, the Redskins have also had two weeks to prepare for this one.
Redskins vs. Saints Football Betting Picks
Summing up the Redskins rate the call based on defense and head to head trends.
Redskins vs. Saints Football Betting Pick: Washington Redskins
Redskins vs. Saints Football Betting Score Prediction: Redskins 35, Saints 31
Catch highlights off the Redskins win over Green Bay!