The New Orleans Saints are fresh off heels of a huge victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Daints were the recipients of loads of praise after a win of that magnitude, and they have to make sure they don’t fall victim to a let down a week later. It shouldn’t be difficult seeing that the Las Vegas Raiders are coming off a big win of their own.
It's the first home game of the season, and the Superdome should be at a fever pitch. Home field advantage hasn't been the same in recent years, but all signs point to that changing this year, starting with Sunday's matchup vs the Raiders.
The Saints have been building, and they've shown they are capable of being even better than the team we thought they could've been during the offseason. The impressive start to the season has the Saints sweeping our experts' picks for Week 3.
Raiders are riding high, but the Saints put together their first winning streak
Saints pull away late to win by double digits
This game will be closer than anticipated. The Raiders are a talented squad playing well under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. Additionally, they have offensive firepower with Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.
However, I’m still picking the Saints 31-17. I think the game will be even after halftime, but Tyler Shough and Chris Olave will propel the Saints’ offense late and pull away.
At the end of the day, New Orleans is the better, more cohesive squad. It’s vital that they don’t overlook the Raiders, as this could be a trap game, but they should handle business and improve to 2-1.~ Drew Collings
Saints stifle the Raiders momentum
I expect a close game between the Saints and Raiders, with the Saints showing once again this season that they aren’t to be messed with.
Kirk Cousins and Klint Kubiak have gotten that Vegas offense rolling and have won their two games so far by at least a 12 points. However, I doubt that the Saints would let them get that far ahead, if they even manage to get ahead at all. Tyler Shough and the offense have shown too much resilience for that to be the case.
As long as the defense holds their ground, there’s no reason for the Saints to let this game get out of hand. When the final whistle blows, I bet the score will be Saints 24, Raiders 21~ Molly Bauer
Saints prove last week was no fluke
Kubiak has the Raiders playing better than anyone imagined, and this is shaping up to be a surprisingly competitive game. Still, they haven't proven they are on par with the Saints' previous two opponents. New Orleans played those teams well, and the dip in competition, even if it's slight, will be a good test for the team to show last week was the real deal.
The one thing that'll swing this game in the Saints' direction is Tyler Shough's ability to handle and navigate pressure to produce big plays. The Raiders are going to get to Shough, but even when teams have gotten to him, he's done a good job extending plays.
You don't want to bank on that weekly, but having that trait should help the Saints overcome the Raiders' biggest weapon en route to victory. This should also be the week they get off to a better start. The result will be a final score of Saints 27-17.~ Darrion Gray
Add us as a preferred source on Google