The long summer wait is finally over as NFL teams return to action for pre-season this week, starting with the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to face the New Orleans Saints.
It was a memorable campaign for the Chiefs as they made it two Super Bowl championships in the last four years with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Saints went 7-10 and had a season to forget.
We’ll take a look at the match-up and what we can expect, while providing you with our best free NFL betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you watch the action.
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For the first time in several seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs have a choice to make at quarterback
Obviously Mahomes is the main man and the starter, but after the Chiefs won last year’s Super Bowl LVII backup quarterback Chad Henne retired, leaving the Chiefs to find someone to fill that void.
Kansas City has added Blaine Gabbert and retained Shane Buechele, both of whom have contributed in the past. They’ll line up against a Saints quarterback room that includes Derek Carr, Jameis Winston and Jake Haener.
We can expect to see plenty of experienced players on the field come Sunday. The Chiefs aren’t in a position where they need to find out more about their current options, but Reid likes to use them in pre-season to get them adjusted to the rest of the team.
Wide receivers Mecole Hardman Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster both left, as did offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Saints have already announced their intention to play their starters as well.
Both the Chiefs and Saints should get high-quality play out of their quarterbacks on Sunday, which takes some of the load off their receiving corps. The Chiefs are somewhat thin there now, but rookie Rashee Rice and Skyy Moore should get a chance to show what they’re capable of too.
Justyn Ross could get some chances as well, especially after his impressive performances in training camp. The Saints should use Chris Olave for a few snaps, but behind him, Rashid Shaheed and Bryan Edwards stand out as strong potential options as does the veteran Jimmy Graham.
While you do expect a high-scoring game out of teams that often feature Sunday’s stars in the preseason, the odds are eerily close on this one.
The total sits at 37.5 across the market, but you’ll find the over priced at -115 with BetOnline. You could argue this is overpriced and should be snapped up, especially with so many experienced players likely to get significant minutes over the four quarters.
The Saints are entering Sunday’s preseason opener as favorites over the Chiefs. With Carr looking to improve his chemistry with his new pass catchers in New Orleans, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the start in the first week of the preseason.
Meanwhile, Andy Reid has typically played his starters for one or two drives to begin the preseason. So there’s a decent chance we see Mahomes get an opportunity to lead the Chiefs down the field to begin the game.
Even with the Chiefs likely being more cautious with their starters than the Saints, the defending champions should come away with the victory in Sunday’s exhibition match and the overs should land in the process.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
The Chiefs and Saints did not meet on the field last season, but the Chiefs have had the upper hand in their last three match-ups. Kansas City has a perfect 3-0 record against New Orleans, and they have also won two out of three games against the spread.
The average combined score of these contests was 52 points, meaning the earlier pick to back the overs looks good too.
Reid has produced a 44-46 record in the preseason throughout his coaching career. However, Reid has won five of its last six preseason matchups in the last two seasons with the Chiefs and they have the far stronger roster coming into the game.
On the other side of the field, Allen went 1-2 in his first preseason as the head coach of the Saints in 2022. Carr will also need time to acclimate to his new teammates and offense as he prepares for his debut campaign in New Orleans.
Backing the reigning champions to get the win at positive odds seems like a great bet, even in pre-season.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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