Saints Projected Win Total for 2021 Comes in Low

The NFL betting odds don't seem too high on the Saints in their first season post-Drew Brees.

It's going to take some adjustment referring to a 17-game season in the NFL. The extra game will undoubtedly bring more money to the bottom line for the league, and there'll be more emphasis on the right matchups when schedule flexing comes to play. This season, Monday Night Football is expected to part of the process starting in Week 12. In essence, all of the marquee matchups will take center stage more, as long as there's advanced notice.

It's hard to project what the Saints will bring to the table in 2021, but that hasn't stopped the oddsmakers from giving their early opinions. PointsBet and The Lines have set the season win totals at 9 for New Orleans after the first several weeks of free agency. The Buccaneers are projected to win the division, with their line set at 11.5 wins, while the Panthers have a slight edge over the Falcons with a line of 7.5 wins. Atlanta is at 7.

Over the past four seasons, New Orleans is 49-15 in the regular season, most recently going 12-4 and winning the NFC South a fourth-straight time. The Saints became the first team to four-peat since the division was formed in 2002.

We've known about the opponents since the end of December, and the 17th game that was announced by the league will see them travel to Nashville to take on the Titans. The team still has a strong young core of players and Sean Payon at the helm. Competition will strong, but this early projected total seems a bit low for the Saints.

The NFL schedule will likely come out between mid-to-late April.