New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers Point Spread Picks

The San Francisco 49ers ran off 71 plays last week, and they limited their opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, to 49 plays. They did this on the road vs. a good offensive team. The one certainty that comes with San Francisco is that it seems like every year, they are solid once again on defense. That spells trouble for a New Orleans team that has a minimal offense and was held to 13 points at home by Arizona. They stayed in the game with defense. The New Orleans offense did not have a turnover, which was another reason they remained in the game. These teams have had a tendency to play low-scoring games over the last 22 meetings, which shows a 14-7-1 mark to the under. Make the play UNDER the total.

It's the second straight preseason road game for New Orleans. The defense played well in Week 1, winning at Arizona. Coach Dennis Allen has won three of his last four preseason games, including 2-0 on the road winning at the Chargers (22-17) and at Arizona (16-14). San Francisco kept it vanilla on offense in the opener, a 17-13 loss to Tennessee. They were 4-of-13 on third and fourth down. After QB Brock Purdy, the backups are Joshua Dobbs, Brandon Allen, and Tanner Mordecai. Coach Kyle Shanahan has lost four of his last five preseason games showing nothing. The 49ers offense has averaged just 10.6 points in its last five preseason contests. Take New Orleans + UNDER the total. 

New Orleans just hasn't been able to stay healthy. Two quarterbacks have combined for 18 TDs, 12 picks, and over the last three games, the offense has averaged 16.6 points. At least the defense has been improving a lot, allowing 16.75 points over the last four contests. They run into a San Francisco defense that is a powerhouse unit, one ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed and against the run, plus fourth in points surrendered (17.3 pg). The offense is ball-control, ranked seventh in time of possession, which chews up yards and the clock. And the 49ers are 14-4 UNDER the total against teams that force 0.75 or fewer turnovers per contest. Take New Orleans/San Francisco UNDER the total.