After a solid 3-1 showing on NFL preseason picks last weekend, we’re off to another solid 1-0-1 start to this weekend. Every week, I’ll post my top picks on Monday and provide an update before each game — you can check out all of my NFL preseason Week 2 picks here. Let’s dig into today’s Saints-Chargers betting odds as we make our predictions and pick the best NFL preseason bet!
Looking for more 2023 NFL predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down the upcoming NFL season — make sure to check out the rest of our NFL articles, including our AFC West and NFC South previews. Come back during the NFL season for our market-based betting model’s picks and best bets — or try it out for Week 1 now!
Saints-Chargers Pick & Preseason Betting Prediction
Saints-Chargers Betting Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Saints: -180 | Chargers: +155
Saints -3.5: -110 | Chargers +3.5: -110
Over 37.0 -105 | Under 37.0: -115
Saints-Chargers Pick & Prediction
The market hasn’t moved much for this game after we locked in the Chargers at +3.5 on Monday in the early week column. The odds are slightly more favorable for L.A., and the total has ticked up by a point, but that’s the only change we’ve seen on the betting markets. That’s great news if you didn’t buy the line right away because the lack of market movement means my top Saints-Chargers pick is still on the board.
But before we get into the pick, let’s talk about the weather. Hurricane Hilary is expected to make landfall in Southern California on Sunday, which means there is a chance the league ends up canceling this game. A decision hasn’t been made quite yet, but the odds of this game getting played as scheduled are quite low. A venue change is possible, but the NFL has been fine with canceling preseason games due to inclement weather. The league did so in 2021 and in 2017.
The New Orleans Saints are currently scheduled to visit the Texas Christian Horned Frogs — erm, the Los Angeles Chargers — in a standalone game on Sunday night. The Chargers have two of TCU’s biggest-name offensive weapons from last season, quarterback Max Duggan and wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who will likely play sizeable roles in Week 2 of the preseason. The Saints have another part of that offense, running back Kendre Miller, but he’ll likely sit this one out with an injury.
New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen gave his starters plenty of run in Week 1 and could choose to do so again this week, but it’s likelier that he saw enough and will pivot away from the first-team offense. The Saints didn’t use their first-string offense much last preseason, especially not in Week 2, despite having a quarterback controversy on his hands. Neither Andy Dalton nor Jameis Winston played in Week 2 last year. Dalton played in Weeks 1 and 3 while Winston only appeared in Week 3.
While the Saints have several intriguing depth pieces on offense, they don’t have enough incentive for me to back them as a sizeable road favorite. They just lost running back Kendre Miller to an injury. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed remains sidelined as well. The Saints can’t afford to lose much more depth on offense, especially with Alvin Kamara suspended for the first three weeks of the season, so don’t be surprised if Dennis Allen dials back the aggression in Week 2.
The Saints looked good in Week 1, but the Chargers honestly looked better. L.A. racked up a dominant 34 points, seven of which came on special teams, and 342 yards on just 58 plays, good for 5.9 yards per play. Penalties were their primary problem. The Saints totaled 26 points and 360 yards on 69 plays, good for 5.2 yards per play. New Orleans also got help from a pair of Kansas City turnovers — an advantage L.A. didn’t have last week, as neither team turned it over in SoFi. Let’s trust the Chargers to get the job done on Sunday — if the game gets played.
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Saints-Chargers NFL Preseason Pick: Los Angeles +3.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
