Cardinals vs. Saints Odds: NFL Week 3 Preseason Picks & Predictions
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Cardinals vs. Saints Odds
| Cardinals Odds | +160 |
| Saints Odds | -190 |
| Over/Under | 34.5 |
| Date | Saturday, Aug. 28 |
| Time | 8:00 pm ET |
| TV | KPNX 12 News (NBC) |
| Odds accurate as of Saturday at Caesars_ | |
On Saturday evening, the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints will conclude their preseason schedule. Oddsmakers have priced the Saints as slight favorites for this contest, but let’s take a closer look at who is expected to play in this matchup, and where bettors can find value.
Arizona Cardinals
In the opening week of preseason, Arizona defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-16, despite not playing any of their big names, and only a handful of starters for a few reps. In Week 2, quarterback Kyler Murray only attempted four passes in a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Backup Colt McCoy completed 13 of his 18 passes for 113 yards and an interception. If McCoy ends up seeing the majority of the snaps under center against New Orleans, bettors should expect a similar output from him.
Yet, it is possible that after Murray sat out Week 1, and struggled in Week 2, that he gets an extended run of playing time in this game. It is highly unlikely that he would get to play more than a quarter, but with a young quarterback and new additions to the offense, it would make sense to get him a few more live reps before throwing him into regular season action.
New Orleans Saints
Update: The Saints announced Jameis Winston would be their Week 1 starter after this article was written.
The Saints nearly put an end to the Baltimore Ravens’ remarkable preseason winning streak in Week 1, but lost 17-14. Last week, this group pulled off a 23-21 victory in a tightly-contested affair with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In their final dress rehearsal for the regular season, there has been no indication of how much the starters will play or which quarterback will get the starting nod.
However, as the preseason draws to a close, it has become increasingly likely that Jameis Winston will be announced as the team’s starting signal-caller for their Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Last week, Winston completed nine of his 10 pass attempts for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Taysom Hill was much less effective, completing only 11 of 20 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown. Head Coach Sean Payton might want to get both Winston and Hill a few more reps in this game, but it is unlikely that anything in this final tune-up will change his mind regarding his quarterback depth chart heading into the regular season.
New Orleans is a team with championship aspirations. There is very little incentive for the starters, on offense or defense, to play much in this one. If the backups see the majority of the action, that could hurt the Saints’ chances of winning, considering that they have been outscored 26-6 in the second-half of their preseason games to this point.
Pick
In every preseason game, the ultimate goal for each coaching staff is to get their team to the final whistle with as few injuries as possible. This typically leads to an abundance of conservative pass plays, and a healthy amount of running plays—far more than can be expected once the regular season gets underway. The emphasis on getting out of a preseason game healthy becomes even more paramount during the final exhibition game, as no Head Coach wants to lose a key player to injury with only a handful of days to recover prior to the games counting for real.
It would be surprising if either of these teams play their starters for more than a few series in this one. However, Arizona has given their starters almost no game reps during the first two weeks of the preseason. It is possible that Murray and some of his offensive weapons get an entire quarter to try to work out some of their struggles that were painfully evident during their limited on-field time last week against the Chiefs.
It is difficult to predict exactly who will suit up, and for how much playing time. Yet, bettors should lean into the idea that Arizona could use a few more reps in this one compared to the Saints. This game is much closer to a toss-up than the odds indicate. Bettors should consider a small play on the Cardinals at significant plus-money in this one.
Pick: Cardinals ML (+160)
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