The New Orleans Saints are 3-0 against the spread in recent weeks, and Bovada sportsbook in Las Vegas is putting its foot down. The Saints open up as 13-point favorites over the division rival Atlanta Falcons, who will visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for Thanksgiving’s prime time game on NBC. The line initially opened at 14 points in the Saints’ favor, then dropped to 13 points.
This spread is so wide it’s disrespectful. While the Saints have a scoring differential that averages out to +13.9 points this year, it’s still a common opponent with a solid offense approaching. The return of linebacker Deion Jones is badly-needed for a Falcons defense lacking in playmakers. It’ll be tough for the Saints to cover this spread.
As for the over/under, it’s set at a high 59.5; the implied score being an incredibly fun Saints victory, at 37-23. New Orleans hosted the Falcons last year on Christmas Eve, winning 23-13. They’ll be hoping to repeat that success in spiking their rivals’ holiday plans this Thursday night.
New Orleans is also the betting favorite to win Super Bowl 53 after joining the Los Angeles Rams in last week’s lead. That’s the sort of thing that happens when you bury the defending champions on national broadcast.