The New Orleans Saints (3-2, 2-1 away) take on the Seattle Seahawks (2-4, 0-2 home) in primetime on Monday Night Football. Seattle is trying to get back into contention in the NFC West, while the Saints can stay one game back in the NFC South with a victory.
The kickoff for the Week 7 matchup is at 8:15 p.m. EST at Lumen Field in Seattle, WA. New Orleans is a four-point favorite, and the over-under total is at 42 points.
What to Know – New Orleans Saints
New Orleans was off last week but tries to string their second win in a row together for the first time this year. The Saints have followed up every win this season with a loss the next week. The Saints headed into their bye week with a slew of key injuries, and a handful of those players are ready to return to action Monday night.
Jameis Winston operates a Saints offense that scores 25.4 points and gains 306.6 yards of offense per game. Winston has handled the starting role well, throwing 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season.
New Orleans would like to get star-running back Alvin Kamara going sooner rather than later. The all-purpose back had a pair of touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, in their Week 5 victory over Washington, but he’s been held to 15 receptions and only eclipsed 100-yards once in 2021.
The Saints have owned oddsmakers, going 11-4-1 against the spread over their last 16 games. New Orleans is 5-2 ATS against the Seahawks in their last seven matchups.
What to Know – Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are in last place in one of the toughest divisions in football and currently navigating the schedule without their star quarterback. Seattle isn’t out of it yet, but a win over the Saints is paramount if the Seahawks want a chance to stay in contention with already a third of the season in the books.
Geno Smith made his first start under center in four seasons, throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown. Smith will be the starter until veteran Russell Wilson returns from the injured reserve with a thumb injury.
With Wilson sidelined, the Seahawks turned to a punishing ground game in the loss to Pittsburgh. Alex Collins, filling in for the injured Chris Carson, rushed for 101 yards to become the first Seattle rusher to go over 100-yards since 2019. Seattle activated rusher Rashaad Penny from the IR to give Smith a pair of solid options out of the backfield.
Seattle is 3-3 ATS this season and 0-2 ATS on their home turf. The Seahawks are 1-4 ATS in their last five matchups against teams from the NFC.
The Pick is In
Monday’s matchup is a crucial contest for both teams vying for a victory to keep their season intact. New Orleans enjoyed a much-needed week off, and the key players they get back could be the difference in the game.
The Saints have one of the best rushing defenses in the league, so a key for the Seahawks will be to establish a passing attack early to open up the ground game. Seattle still has too many key pieces injured, but expect this one to be a close contest throughout.
Betting Pick: Seattle Seahawks +4
