Two teams on different trajectories meet on Saturday night when the Arizona Cardinals visit the New Orleans Saints. The Cardinals are a team on the rise, as they won just three games in 2018 and increased that to eight a year ago. However, that 2020 team started 5-2 and ended up losing six of the next nine, partially due to an injury to quarterback Kyler Murray. This year, the pressure is on head coach Kliff Kingsbury to get his team to the postseason. Their opponent is a team in flux for the first time in years, as quarterback Drew Brees, who had been with the team since 2006, has retired, and the team will now likely have Jameis Winston running the offense. That transition will mark a significant change in the style of the Saints’ attack, a style that was quite impressive in New Orleans’ win over Jacksonville in the second preseason game.
Let’s take a look at Saturday night’s matchup with implications for your NFL betting.
NFL Preview: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (August 28)
When: Saturday, August 28, 2021, 8:00 pm ET
Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
TV: No National Broadcast
Radio: KMVP 98.7 FM Phoenix / WWL 870 AM New Orleans
Live Stream: FuboTV
NFL Odds: New Orleans -4 / O/U 36
Why should you bet on the Cardinals?
The Cardinals are 1-1 in the preseason, starting with a win over the Dallas Cowboys but following that up with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cardinals opened up a 10-6 lead on Dallas in that opener and was able to stay ahead of the Cowboys, finishing with a 19-16 win on a last-second field goal. Quarterback Chris Streveler was 12 of 24 for 107 yards, and he led the team in rushing with 55 yards on 10 attempts. Eno Benjamin scored a rushing touchdown and ran for 50 yards.
Arizona could not put up any points in the first half of their loss to the Chiefs. Colt McCoy led the offense most of the way, and he went 13 of 18 for 113 yards with an interception. Greg Dortch was the top receiver with three catches for 44 yards, and Ross Travis had a touchdown reception. I expect to see reserves getting most of the playing time in this preseason finale, and given the struggles the Arizona reserves have had on both sides of the ball, it is hard to see the Cardinals taking down a team with a superior system, particularly on defense.
Why should you put your money on the Saints?
The Saints are also 1-1 in this preseason; in their opener, they put up 14 points in the second quarter against Baltimore, but that was all the points they would get, as they fell, 17-14. Quarterback Ian Book went 9 of 16 for 126 yards and an interception. Tony Jones had a solid game, running for 82 yards and a score.
In their second preseason game, New Orleans had a huge first quarter as Jameis Winston had two highlight-reel touchdown passes, going 9 of 10 for 123 yards before giving way to Taysom Hill, who threw for 138 yards and a touchdown of his own. The Saints’ defense got a little generous once the reserves came in, but the team still held on for the 23-21 win.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
New Orleans has covered in seven of their last nine games against conference opponents. Arizona has a higher ceiling in some areas, but New Orleans has the more consistent system. With lots of reserves expected on both sides, I’m going with the team with the better system. I predict a final score of Saints 20, Cardinals 16.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football games? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
