2010 NFL Preseason Betting Contest: Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints

The high flying Texans looked as though they were off to a fantastic start to their 2010 NFL betting campaign when they jumped out to a 16-0 lead over the Arizona Cardinals last week at University of Phoenix Stadium. QB Matt Schaub, the leader of the top passing offense in the league last year, started off this year in fine fashion, going 5-for-6 for 78 yards and a TD. His top receiver, WR Andre Johnson had three catches for 59 yards, while prospective starter WR Jacoby Jones led the team with five catches. DE Mario Williams had a pair of sacks, and the defense pitched a shutout through three quarters. However, the news got significantly worse from there. RB Steve Slaton once again lost a fumble, a problem he has become known for over the last season and a half. The team blew the 16 point lead by conceding 19 fourth quarter points. But perhaps the worst of the worst came when RB Ben Tate was carted off the field with an ankle injury. The prognosis isn’t good for the rookie out of Auburn, as he could be out for the entire season. If that’s the case, HC Gary Kubiak has very few options to choose from in his backfield, especially if the rapport between himself and Slaton continues to deteriorate.

New Orleans looked alright in its first preseason contest from start to finish offensively, but the defense looked as bad as the offense looked good as well. All things considered, a 27-24 defeat on the road to the New England Patriots was nothing to be ashamed of, but there is clearly marked room for improvement for the defending champs. QB Drew Brees got back into the swing of things by going 9-for-13 for 55 yards. His backups, Patrick Ramsey (7/11, 111 yards) and Chase Daniel (6/9, 50 yards) were both respectable as well. The offensive line only conceded one sack, but opened up a minimal amount of holes for the rushing attack, which averaged 3.4 yards per carry. More bad injury news struck the Saints as well, as WR Adrian Arrington left the game late on with a shoulder injury. He led the team with four catches and 87 receiving yards, but he could be held out of this one due to the bum shoulder. RB Chris Ivy had a good start to his 2010 season, rushing for 30 yards and a TD on just six carries. Rookie PJ Hill also had 30 rushing yards on nine carries.

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Even though both of these teams have the ability to score points in bunches, asking them to reach this type of a ‘total’ in the preseason is a tad ridiculous. The average points per game scored in Week 1 of the exhibitions was right around this number posted in this game, but with Kubiak’s desire to find a running back, the Houston offense could be hampered. Once Brees and Schaub leave this game, it could be an ugly one to watch. Expect to see this NFL preseason betting affair struggle to get into the mid-30s.