The Houston Texans will host the New Orleans Saints in their preseason opener on Saturday. Houston is coming off of a disappointing season that saw them finish with a 4-13 record.
Although they came in third place in the AFC South, Houston wants to improve upon that underwhelming record in 2022. They would love to get the year started with a home victory.
Saints Record
As for New Orleans, they posted a mediocre record last year. The Saints finished in second place in the NFC South with a 9-8 record.
Although that wasn’t good enough for a postseason spot, the Saints project to be a contender this season.
Preseason Liability
New Orleans Saints is the most talented team on paper. However, this is the preseason anything is liable to happen.
Let’s take a look at the Texans vs. Saints betting predictions. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.
NFL 2021-22 Scoreboard Records
As aforementioned, last season was a major disappointment for the Texans. And not a whole lot has changed in 2022. There are some people who are projecting them to finish last in their division.
But for Houston, they need to tune out the outside noise and focus on the task at hand. Houston is simply trying to put the pieces together and win some games with their young crop of talent.
The Saints are an exciting team. They have an up-and-coming roster with an improved defensive unit. New Orleans enters this preseason matchup as the road favorites which isn’t all that surprising.
Texans vs. Saints Betting Analysis
Houston’s straight-up record in the NFL standings was bad last year. But they were decent against the spread. The Texans posted an ATS record of 8-9 in 2021.
Meanwhile, New Orleans was 9-8. So from a betting standpoint, this game truly could go either way. Houston also was 5-4 ATS when playing at their home field.
Their home results weren’t great overall, but they covered the spread more often than not. But the Saints were 6-3 ATS on the road. So they didn’t face trouble covering away from home.
Saints Analysis
The Saints have an emerging core of young defensive players to go along with a steady offense. The health of Jameis Winston will obviously be something to keep an eye on.
The same can be said for Alvin Kamara. If Kamara can remain on the field, he will help this team win games and reach the playoffs.
But this season could turn upside down in a hurry if Winston deals with setbacks and Kamara gets injured again. However, Kamara has played extremely well so far during training camp per reports.
Texans Analysis
If you look for Texans updates and stats, the most consistent headline is something along the lines of “X Rookie looking to breakout in 2022.”
Houston is rebuilding. They have a number of young players aiming to impress in the preseason. The Texans are going to struggle this year.
But they profile as a sneaky underdog pick in the preseason since almost everyone on their roster is fighting for a starting job. There aren’t a lot of players who have their roles locked up yet.
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Updates
The Texans recently signed USFL standout BJ Emmons. They also acquired tight end, Adam Shaheen, from the Miami Dolphins in a preseason trade.
Houston’s rookies have impressed so far for the most part during training camp. The Texans are building up their core.
Saints Safety Is Back
The Saints announced they are bringing back safety Jack Koerner amid a few training camp injuries. Taysom Hill is reportedly expected to stay in his super-utility role for the Saints this year.
There were stirrings that he may move to one position and stay there. But the versatile Hill is expected to play a number of different roles for New Orleans this season.
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Preview
So who wins this game? Can the Texans upset the odds at home, or will the Saints cover the spread and win this game?
The NFL betting odds suggest that New Orleans will take care of business. And they realistically should. However, some experts have projected a blowout victory for New Orleans.
Who to Bet On?
I don’t happen to agree with that. We can expect a fairly close game with the Saints pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Take the Saints with your NFL betting pick. Most sportsbooks have the Saints listed as the favorite. Go ahead and take them to cover the spread in this one.
NFL Pick: Saints -1 (13/15)
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