New Orleans vs Baltimore – NFL Sports Betting

The Baltimore Ravens and the New Orleans Saints are both chasing the division leaders in the AFC betting North and NFC South respectively.

When these two teams clash Sunday at M&T Stadium we’re in for a classic offense versus defense show down.

The early NFL Sports betting action on the game is backing the New Orleans Saints by an 80/20 split.

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The odds makers have set the NFL sports betting spread favoring the Saints by -1½-points. The game total is set at 44 points. As the spread is fewer than 2 points, no moneyline is available for the game.

NFL Betting Odds

December 19, 2010

New Orleans Saints +1½ -110

Baltimore Ravens -1½ -110

Game Total 44

Location: M&T Bank Stadium –Baltimore MD

Game Time: 1:00

TV: FOX

After starting the season with a 4-3 record after seven games, New Orleans has won 6 games straight. They are using a combination of their usual explosive defense and a tightened up defense. They’ve topped 30 points in each of their past five games.

Even during their run to the Super Bowl last season, the Saints couldn’t match five straight 30-point outbursts. You have to go back to the 2002 Saints for five straight 30-point games.

The reason for the late season improvement in the Saints offense is the return of their running game. They’ve topped 100 rushing yards in four of their past five games after averaging just 84.8 rushing yards in their first eight games.

Drew Brees is in line to top 4000 yards for the fifth straight season. He’s completing 69% of his passes for 3855 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s tied his worst season for interceptions with 18. There’s a very good chance he’ll toss his 19th against the Ravens tough defense.

The Ravens are 9-4 on the season and a game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North lead. Many NFL sports betting experts are still picking the Ravens to win the AFC because of their defense and an offense that can perform depending on the defensive deficiencies of their opponents.

The Ravens are holding opponents to a fourth best 17.6 points per game. That number jumped up after their 34-28 OT victory over the Houston Texans. In that game the Ravens had a 21 point lead but gave it all back before finally winning with a pick six in overtime.

That game exposes a few holes in the Ravens defense that concerns me coming into this game. The Raven can stop out mediocre offensive teams like the Jets or the Buccaneers but against teams with some offensive pop, they wear down. The Saints offense has some pop.

The key to this game will be the New Orleans Saints jumping out to a two score lead, if they can do that they’ll win walking away as they Ravens can’t play catch-up. Take the Saints -1½