49ers vs. Saints Total Prediction
One of the marquee matchups of Week 14 in the NFL has the 49ers visiting the Saints at 1:00 p.m. ET. The total for the matchup hit the board at 45.5 but has been bet down a full point to 44.5. Should bettors follow the line movement and take the under?
Game Snapshot
137 San Francisco 49ers (+2.5) at 138 New Orleans Saints (-2.5); O/U 44.5
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 8
Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Public Betting Trends
According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Saints are receiving 52% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.
San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Spin
Matt Breida (ankle) is practicing in full for Week 14 against the Saints. Breida probably could have played against the Ravens in Week 13, though the Niners opted to give him another week off. Poor weather conditions in Baltimore made that decision a no-brainer. Breida’s return from a three-game absence further complicates San Francisco’s backfield committee, a unit comprised of Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. With so many mouths to feed in this offense, it’s hard to roll with any of the Niners’ backs in fantasy.
New Orleans Saints Fantasy Spin
Michael Thomas caught 6-of-8 targets for 48 yards in the Saints’ Week 13 win over the Falcons. His 48 yards mark a new season-low for the NFL leader in catches and yards and also snapped Thomas’ streak of five straight 100-yard games. The eight targets were Thomas’ second-fewest of the year. The Saints barely had the ball in the fourth quarter with the Falcons recovering back-to-back onside kicks. Thomas will get a stiff test with the 49ers at the Superdome in Week 14.
NFL Betting Trends
San Francisco
The under is 4-1 in the 49ers’ last five games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
New Orleans
The over is 12-5-1 in the Saints’ last 18 home games versus an opponent with a winning road record.
Prediction
The under is 7-3 in the 49ers’ last 10 games as a road favorite, is 4-1 in their last five games coming off an ATS win and is 7-1 in their last eight games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0 points. The under is also 8-3 in the Saints’ last 11 games coming off an ATS win, is 7-3 in their last 10 games following a straight up win and is a perfect 4-0 in their last four games played in Week 14. Despite the scoring capabilities of these two teams, I see this as more of a defensive struggle.
NFL Week 14 Prediction: 49ers/Saints UNDER 44.5