NFL Picks – Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints

The Lions and the Saints are two of the best teams in the NFL. These two franchises used to be laughing stocks. People picked on the Lions for their 0-16 campaign. The Saints were nicknamed the “Aints” because of their struggles over the course of two decades. Things have changed, though. Each team has a good shot at making the playoff this year. When the Lions head down to the Crescent City this weekend, what can we expect? The linesmakers have pegged this one at nine points. That number looks pretty large, so we have to ask what is going on? Is this a game where the books are looking to rope in more Detroit money? 

 

The Saints played on Monday night and they played well, knocking off the Giants by a big margin. They ran it and threw it well and the game was never really close. Now, they get to go against a Lions team that will be without its best defensive player. Suh was thrown out of last week’s games for stomping a guy, so the Lions will try to pressure Brees without him. Can they stop the train? The answer is probably a no. The Saints look like they have hit their stride. They are always tough when playing in the dome, as well. This looks like a tough challenge for a Detroit team that is trending the wrong direction.

 

There is one problem with laying the points here, though. If you look at rest time, you will see that the Lions had a full three extra days of rest. They played on Thanksgiving, while the Saints played the Monday night game. This is a big deal in the NFL, especially down the stretch. Teams can heal up and they can play a lot better when they get some rest underneath them. If you are thinking about making NFL picks on the Lions, then this should be a good sign for you. Teams with extra rest advantage are successful in the NFL, especially when it comes to covering the spread.