Last Updated on July 31, 2010 6:23 pm by Anthony Rome
Saints Season Odds
Armed with an explosive offense and a couple of new additions on defense, the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are primed to make another title run.
Perhaps the biggest move the Saints made this past offseason was bringing back safety Darren Sharper, who was vital to their success last season. The Saints also signed free agent linebacker Clint Ingram and defensive ends Jimmy Wilkerson and Alex Brown.
The Saints were focused on the defensive line, linebacker, safety and running back position heading into April’s draft. In the first round, they selected Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson and in the second, they took USC offensive tackle Charles Brown. In Round 3, they took Miami tight end Jimmy Graham and in the fourth, they address the interior of their defensive line with LSU DT Al Woods.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com currently list the Saints as 10/1 to win the 2011 Super Bowl and 9/2 to win the NFC. They’re also –175 on the money line to win the NFC South Division and have an over/under season win total of 10.5 games.
At 10/1 to win Super Bowl XLV, the Saints offer tremendous value. Their entire offense remains intact from their championship run, including quarterback Drew Brees, receiver Marques Colston, running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, as well as tight end Jeremy Shockey. New Orleans also has one of the best offensive lines in the NFC and a head coach in Sean Payton that is a fantastic playcaller.
Defensively, the key to the Saints’ success is coordinator Gregg Williams. Assuming everyone stays healthy, there’s no reason to think that Williams can’t lead the same opportunistic unit that got the Saints to the Super Bowl in 2009.
The question is whether or not the Saints can overcome history and play with targets on their back. It’s been 13 years since the last time a team in the NFC won back-to-back conference titles (Green Bay, 2007, 2008). With their passing attack and explosion on offense, there’s no reason why the Saints can get back to the big dance. But it’s obviously a different game when you’re the hunted instead of the hunter.
2011 Super Bowl Odds: New Orleans Saints 10/1
Odds to win NFC: New Orleans Saints 9/2
Odds to win NFC South: New Orleans Saints –175
2010 NFL Season Win Total: New Orleans Saints O/U 10.5
Posted: 7/31/10 6:15PM ET