Week 4 NFL Spreads: Jets vs. Saints

NFL Week 4 – N.Y. Jets vs. New Orleans Saints

With stops and starts, successes and failures, the progress made by the Saints has roughly paralleled what New Orleans has experienced since Hurricane Katrina ravaged 80 percent of the city in August 2005.

Time: Sunday 4:05 ET
Venue: Louisiana Superdome
MoneyLine: Jets +260 (-110) / Saints -310 (-110)
Spread: Saints -7
Over/Under: 45

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The franchise fought to just remain in Louisiana after San Antonio made overtures about relocating the team, and given the disruption to the families, the subsequent 3-13 record in 2005 was no surprise. But the next year NO reached the playoffs at 10-6 before making an improbable run to the NFC title game, and the previous two years (7-9, 8-8) have, much like the city itself, brought a measure of stability.

On Sunday the Saints will be showcased for the entire country as they put their unbeaten record on the line against the Jets in the NFL’s only matchup of 3-0 teams. The line opened at Saints -6, but New Orleans backers have pumped that up a point in early betting, and the over has been stable at 45.

Basically, what you see is what you get with the Saints, who are averaging 40 points and at this pace would shatter New England’s 2007 team scoring record with a full game to spare. No one figures that to happen – after a bye week the Saints take on the Giants on Oct. 18 – but right now no team is the league is more prolific.

Triggerman Drew Brees already has nine touchdown passes, and has completed passes to 10 different receivers, six of whom are averaging 10 or more yards per catch. Marques Colston and Devery Henderson are the top wideout targets, but whacko Jeremy Shockey has been both healthy and behaved, and his presence as a short- and medium-range target has opened things up.

You could win a bar bet Saturday night by pointing out that the Saints actually have run the ball more times than they have passed this year (102-97), but the opportunity to run is created when a team sprints out to be lead, as NO has done in victories over Detroit, Philadelphia and Buffalo. Reggie Bush may never be the game-breaking running back that everyone thought he would be, but he gets the job done. Bush actually has more receiving yards (114) than rushing (111) this season, and averages 5.4 yards every time he touches the ball.

The big question, of course, is whether what’s described in the two paragraphs above can be accomplished against a Jets defense that is bears no resemblance to anything the Saints see in the NFC South. Bigmouth coach Rex Ryan has backed up his words by putting on the field a blitzing defense that blew away the Texans, held Tom Brady and the Patriots without a touchdown and toppled the desperate Titans.

The Jets, God bless ’em, are having none of the ‘Just another game’ baloney. They know it’s huge, and won’t say otherwise. “People always want to see a good defense vs. a great offense,” Jets linebacker Bart Scott was quotes as saying. This is a great opportunity what kind of team [the Jets] are and see if New Orleans is as billed.”

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Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel writer from Massachusetts.