Primetime games have been wildly entertaining in the NFL this season. On Monday Night Football, the league will aim to recapture the magic when the New Orleans Saints visit the Seattle Seahawks. The Saints are 3-2 this season, winning two of the last three games and coming off a bye in Week 6. The Seahawks have lost two games in a row to fall to 2-4 in 2021. Both teams covered the spread their last time out.
Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET in Seattle. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Saints as four-point road favorites, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 41.5 in its latest Seahawks vs. Saints odds. Before you make any Saints vs. Seahawks picks and NFL predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Entering the 2021 campaign, Hartstein was 351-291 all-time on NFL sides, returning more than $2,200 for $100 bettors.
In addition, Hartstein has been on fire this season. In fact, he is a blistering 25-9 in his last 34 NFL picks, returning nearly $1,500 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Saints vs. Seahawks and just released his coveted MNF picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hartstein's picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Saints vs. Seahawks:
- Seahawks vs. Saints spread: Saints -4
- Seahawks vs. Saints over-under: 41.5 points
- Seahawks vs. Saints money line: Saints -210, Seahawks +175
- NO: Saints are 3-2 against the spread this season
- SEA: Under has hit in three of last four Seahawks games
Why the Saints can cover
Quarterback Jameis Winston leads the NFL in touchdown percentage through the air and the Saints lead the league in red zone efficiency, scoring a touchdown on more than 90 percent of trips inside the 20-yard line. The Saints can also benefit from the matchup against Seattle with the Seahawks badly struggling on defense this season. The Seahawks are currently dead-last in total defense, allowing 433.2 yards per game, and Seattle ranks in the bottom five in both passing defense (292.3 yards allowed per game) and rushing defense (140.8 yards allowed per game).
Seattle isn't creating havoc defensively, forcing a turnover on only 7.2 percent of drives and generating only two interceptions this season. Given that Winston's biggest weakness is ball security, the veteran Saints quarterback should have the opportunity to produce against Seattle.
Why the Seahawks can cover
Seattle's offense isn't the same on paper without Wilson, but there are reasons for optimism in Week 7. The Seahawks have committed fewer turnovers (four) than any team in the NFL, and Seattle ranks in the top 10 in both net yards per pass attempt (7.2) and yards per rushing attempt (4.6). The Seahawks have scored a touchdown on 75 percent of trips to the red zone, a top-five figure, and Seattle has one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL.
DK Metcalf has generated 31 catches for 441 yards and five touchdowns, while Tyler Lockett has 27 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns. New Orleans has a very strong overall defense, but the Saints rank in the bottom ten of the NFL in stopping the pass, with opponents generating 275 passing yards per game against the Saints this season.
How to make Saints vs. Seahawks picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning under the total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Saints vs. Seahawks on Monday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein's Saints vs. Seahawks picks, all from the NFL expert who is 25-9 on NFL picks, and find out.