Thanks to a last-second victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions have a stranglehold on the NFC North heading into Week 13. Matthew Stafford and company will look to collect their eighth win of the year against the New Orleans Saints in Louisiana this weekend.
- The Lions are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as road underdogs.
- The total has gone UNDER in nine of the Lions' last 10 games on the road against teams with losing records.
- The Saints are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games against the NFC North.
Oddsmakers initially set the Saints as 4.5-point favorites with an OVER/UNDER of 54.
Backers of the black and gold love to see the Lions on the slate due to New Orleans’ dominance against the spread vs Detroit. The Saints are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings with Detroit.
The OVER is also trending when these teams collide, evidenced by each of the past three contests between the clubs going above the closing total.
Detroit is one of those teams that has quietly flown under the radar and is therefore undervalued by oddsmakers. The Lions have covered the spread in six of their last seven games after starting the year 1-3 ATS. Grabbing them at +4.5 against an inconsistent Saints team looks like a solid number to me.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Sportsbooks, including Sportsbook, had set the New Orleans Saints as -5-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest. The total was hovering around 54 earlier in the week (check for the current over-under lines at Sportsbook).
Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas picked a 34-15 win for the Saints. Injuries during the week may cause the formula to be re-run, so check the NFL picks page before game time. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.
Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Supporters of the Detroit Lions have seen them go 7-4 and 7-4 ATS so far this season, while the New Orleans Saints are at 5-6 and 7-3-1 ATS. In totals betting, the Saints are 6-5, while the Lions are 4-7. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and New Orleans vs Detroit injuries news.
The Saints - Lions odds would favor the Saints if the betting lines were set according to power ranks. New Orleans is rated No. 5 in our latest OddsShark poll, while the Lions sit at No. 21.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the New Orleans Saints No. 2-ranked offense (30.36 PPG) against a Detroit Lions defense that ranks No. 15 at 21.64 PPG. The Saints passing attack has averaged 319.36 yards per game, more than the Lions give up through the air (250.91 YPG on average).
In comparing defenses, the Detroit Lions own the league's No. 11-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 100.4 yards per game when on the road. New Orleans, on the other hand, rates No. 16 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Lions grabbed a Week 12 victory over the Vikings in their last game, winning 16-13 at Ford Field.
New Orleans comes off a game where it received a 4-TD performance from Drew Brees in defeating the Rams 49-21.
- Detroit is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
- Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
- Detroit is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
- New Orleans is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 11 games at home
- New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Next Betting Matchups
Detroit home to Chicago, Sunday, December 11th
New Orleans at Tampa Bay, Sunday, December 11th
