NFL Teams Betting - New Orleans Saints - NFC South

The Saints may be the deepest team in the NFL at the running back position. Darren Sproles was the Saints leading rusher and the key to the Saints' success on special teams. Pierre Thomas has proven he can be a starter in the NFL if healthy, Mark Ingram is poised for a breakout season and Chris Ivory can fill in nicely when called upon. The Saints ranked 6th in the league in rushing last season with just over 2100 yards and 16 touchdowns, impressive numbers on any team but even more so on a record-breaking passing team. These backs should only improve barring any major injuries.

Don’t count out the Saints. They might be down after the NFL bounty scandal, but they’re far from out of the race to the NFC championship. Over the years, the Saints have shown a remarkable resiliency under head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. Whether it is a hurricane relocation or freak midseason injury to Payton, they have thrived in adverse situations.

The Saints will play the entire NFL season without Payton and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, and GM Mickey Loomis, assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt and defensive end Will Smith are each facing multi-game suspensions for their involvement in the bounty probe. What effect their losses have on Sundays remains to be seen. But it seems certain the Saints will have to rely on Brees and the league’s most prolific offense more than ever this season.