The New Orleans Saints hit the road to battle the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
The pregame narrative: Rashee Rice’s knee injury is a major blow to Kansas City’s offence. The Chiefs are fighting through several offensive absences, and I expect a low-scoring game against New Orleans. Additionally, I will back the Saints plus the points.
Check out my Saints vs. Chiefs best bets for the Week 5 Monday Night Football matchup.
Saints vs. Chiefs best bets
Best Bet: Under 43.5 points (-125)
It’s fair to wonder whether Kansas City’s offence will ever be at full strength again this season.
Rice is on injured reserve with a knee injury, Isiah Pacheco is sidelined for six to eight weeks with a fibula injury, and Hollywood Brown is unlikely to return this regular season.
With Travis Kelce showing signs of decline and Xavier Worthy being used sparingly as he adjusts to the NFL, this is suddenly an offence devoid of elite receiving weapons.
The offence was out of sorts following Rice’s departure in Week 4, finishing with just 17 points against the Los Angeles Chargers.
New Orleans’ offence may have a difficult time adjusting to the outdoor conditions at Arrowhead Stadium. The Saints have only scored 36 points over the last two weeks after scoring 91 through the first two games, and there’s one glaring reason for that: Rashid Shaheed.
Shaheed’s ability to take the top off opposing defences allowed the Saints to run up the score with a quick-strike offence. The superstar wideout scored 50-plus-yard touchdowns in Weeks 1 and 2. He failed to do so in Weeks 3 and 4, and New Orleans struggled to produce at the same rate.
Connecting on the long ball at Caesars Superdome is one thing. Doing so outdoors could prove to be a much more difficult task.
Key stat: The under on this total hit in Kansas City’s two most recent games.
Quick Pick
Saints +5.5 (-110): New Orleans’ offence might struggle to run up the score, but its defence should hold Kansas City in check.
The Saints have been excellent on that side of the ball. They boast the No. 2 defensive DVOA rating (-17.5%) in the NFL, according to FTN Fantasy.
New Orleans has been able to hold opposing teams to 20 points or fewer in three of its four games, covering this spread in each of its games this season.
Conversely, Kansas City constantly finds itself winning close contests. All four of the Chiefs’ wins have been one-score games, as they’ve failed to cover this spread in two of their last three outings.
Picks made at 12:20 p.m. ET on 10/05/2024.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.