2021 New Orleans Saints Team Preview, Odds and Predictions

The New Orleans Saints had a somewhat successful 2020 season. Although they didn’t match their 13-3 record from the 2019 season, they finished 12-4. The season overall went well for the Saints who won the NFC South title.

Unfortunately, aside from that singular accolade, the Saints season didn’t amount to much. They made the NFL playoffs, a feat on its own, and first faced the Chicago Bears. After beating the Bears handily, they went to face their NFC South rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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This is where the road to the Super Bowl ended for the New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay defense proved much too strong and held Drew Brees to just 134 yards passing. The quarterback in Tampa orchestrated a 30-20 victory, besting the Saints. New Orleans was frustrated, and unfortunately was yet again beat by Tom Brady.

Some say this is what led to the retiring of Drew Brees. Some say Brees was just ready to get out of the NFL. Now the question is, what will happen to the New Orleans Saints without him?

2021 New Orleans Saints Futures Betting Odds

New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Odds: +3000

New Orleans Saints Conference Champion Odds: +1600

New Orleans Saints Win Totals Odds: Over 9.5 (-105) Under 9.5 (-125)

New Orleans Saints NFC South Champion Odds: +300

NFL Week 1 Odds

If you’re thinking this is the same team that’s made it to the playoffs in four consecutive years, you’re mistaken. Without Drew Brees orchestrating the offense, this team is in real danger.

Currently, the starting quarterback will be Jameis Winston. If you’re unfamiliar with Jameis Winston, he’s the first quarterback to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. There’s a reason the Buccaneers were perfectly fine with losing Winston.

He’s unpredictable, he’s inconsistent, and he’s reckless with the ball. All of those traits are the opposite of Drew Brees.

The Saints instead will likely be more involved in the running game, behind Alvin Kamara. Kamara is a premiere back in the league and can carry the Saints, but for how long? It doesn’t take very long for defenses to figure out how to stuff the run, look at the Minnesota Vikings.

What we think we should expect from the Saints this year is regression. This would give them a chance to head into the 2022 NFL Draft, and find a quarterback there. The answer isn’t Jameis Winston, that much is certain.

2021 New Orleans Saints Offseason Grade: C+

Key Additions: (LB, Shaq Smith), (DE, Payton Turner), (DT, Lorenzo Neal)

Key Departures: (QB, Drew Brees), (WR, Emmanuel Sanders), (CB, Janoris Jenkins)

The Saints seem comfortable in knowing this won’t be a great season. They didn’t actively hunt for a quarterback. They released a great wide receiver and a great cornerback. Instead, they opted to keep everything nearly the same, most likely to make moves in the future. The Saints have a smart front office that knows how to play the long game.

Our thoughts are that they’re planning for a rebuild. By letting go of the dead weight and not spending on signings, the Saints can save room for later. This is a good move and can pay dividends in the future.

This isn’t to say the Saints won’t have a relatively good season, considering who they’ve lost. No team is going to perform the same after losing a quarterback who’s been with them for 15 seasons. It’ll take time, and a lot of effort but the Saints will rebound. One of the ways they can do so is by having a losing season. What they’ll get in return is a higher draft pick that they can use on a future franchise quarterback.

New Orleans Saints 2021 Preview

Fans of the New Orleans Saints might be disappointed in this season but shouldn’t be. Occasionally a team needs to take a step back in order to go forward. On the outside, it might not look like a rebuild but it indeed is.

This is why sportsbooks have the over and under on the win total as a favorite. No one is sure what this offense will look like under Jameis Winston. We can only go off of his resume, which is terrible.

NFL Week 1 Picks

New Orleans Saints Best Futures Bets

Due to us believing this is a rebuilding season, you should steer clear of any championship bets. The Saints won’t be in the Super Bowl, and likely won’t make the NFL playoffs. We say this because there is little chance they’ll win the division over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. This year, it’s just not in the cards for the Saints.

We will say that you should take the under on the 9.5 wins total. They have an incredibly tough schedule this year, starting the season off against Green Bay. This season will be tough for the Saints but that doesn’t mean you can’t make money off of them.

Check out the latest Seahawks futures odds and Packers futures odds for the 2021 NFL season.