Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints Point Spread Picks

This is a pair of teams with new head coaches, but the similarities end there. New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen has been a member of the team's coaching staff for 12 seasons, most recently as defensive coordinator for seven years. He inherits a strong all-around program from Sean Payton with a winning record in 2021. Jameis Winston won't play (ankle), so QBs Andy Dalton and Ian Book are battling for the backup job while the defense is very good, including a terrific secondary. Houston needs major improvements all over the field for new coach Lovie Smith with the team off of a 4-13 campaign. That record doesn't include their only home preseason game, losing to Tampa Bay, 23-16, after trailing 16-2 at the half. QB David Mills will start, and he had a terrible preseason in 2021 with two TDs and four INTs. Retread QBs Kyle Allen, Jeff Driskel, and Kevin Hogan are the backups. Houston has ample youth, new playbooks, and a lot of holes. Play New Orleans.

New Orleans ended last season on a heartbreaking note with the non-call on pass interference against the Rams, but the Saints come back this year looking even stronger as they have added tight end Jared Cook, and they still have Michael Thomas, who led the league with 125 catches for 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns. Drew Brees completed 74.4 percent of his passes and threw 32 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. Cameron Jordan leads a defense that has been more than adequate for the last two seasons, and the secondary should be much improved and mainly intact from last year. Houston suffered a huge loss when Lamar Miller went down for the season after tearing his ACL in the preseason, and the Texans will depend largely on the skills of Deshaun Watson, who threw for more than 4,000 yards last season. Still, questions remain concerning the offensive line that was overhauled for the third straight season. The Texans are 3-7-1 ATS their last 11 road games and 3-10 ATS their last 13 Monday games. Houston lost four of its last five against NFC teams. Play the Saints.

Houston has a ton of defensive depth and talent and they've finally find some decent quarterback play. QB Tom Savage has been named the starter, off a 27-23 win over the Patriots. He played two drives, was eight of nine passing for 98 yards and threw for a touchdown. Rookie QB DeShaun Watson is also playing well in camp and in the preseason games. The defense forced three turnovers and held New England to 3.7 yards per rush. They face a New Orleans squad that plays the same kind of up-tempo attack the Patriots play on offense. The Saints haven't shown much in preseason, scoring 14 and 13 points. They had no TDs, one pick and three sacks last week against the Rams. The defense is still a work in progress after ranking #27 in yards, last in passing, and second to last in points. Houston is on a 5-1 SU/ATS preseason run, including a 16-9 win over New Orleans in Week 2 last August. QB Drew Brees played that game and the Saints had no TDs, two picks, 82 yards rushing, just 3.2 yards per carry. Play Houston on the moneyline.

New Orleans comes off a 34-22 loss at New England but the Saints have covered the number three of the last four years in Game 2 of the preseason and Sean Payton is 21-17 ATS in exhibition play. Drew Brees played a series and completed his only pass attempt for 37 yards. Luke McCown took over and was 18 of 27 for 143 yards with an interception and a touchdown. Garrett Grayson was 10 of 16 for 133 yards and a pick. Payton sounds as if he's serious about improvement in this game as he was clearly distressed with the Saints' four turnovers against the Patriots. Also, the Saints remember two losses to Houston last year, including one in preseason. Bill O'Brien is 4-4 straight-up and ATS his two years as Texans coach and they lost at home 14-10 to Denver at home in the second week of preseason last year. Houston's defense gave up 236 rushing yards on Sunday and there were several missed tackles. Also, defensive stalwart J.J. Watt is out until late September as he recovers from a back injury. Tom Savage was 14 of 24 for 168 yards and Brock Osweiler was four of seven for 27 yards. Osweiler appeared to have a lot of work to do before he gets used to the new offense and becomes the starter in the regular season. The Texans gained only 94 yards on the ground on 29 carries and they scored one of their touchdowns on a 41-yard fumble return. New Orleans is 6-0 ATS in preseason as at least a three-point underdog. Look for New Orleans to bounce back with fewer mistakes, so play the Saints.