| NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-6 SU, 10-6 ATS): Sean | | | | NFL Betting Angle: Carolina is 3-12 ATS as a favorite |
| Payton did the impossible in New Orleans last season, | | | | of between four and seven points. |
| turning a moribund 3-13 team into a Super Bowl | | | | TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-12 SU, 6-9-1 ATS): |
| contender. With the return of QB Drew Brees, twin RB | | | | While the Saints were going from worst to first, the |
| threats Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, and | | | | Buccaneers were heading in the opposite direction, |
| emerging WR star Marques Colston, the offense is | | | | from first to worst last year. Head Coach Jon Gruden |
| lethal. The defense also showed improvement under | | | | hopes that savvy QB Jeff Garcia, who the |
| first year coordinator Gary Gibbs but lacked | | | | Buccaneers acquired through free agency, will be able |
| aggression, finishing 31st in the NFL in takeaways in | | | | to run his complex West Coast offense with more |
| 2006. The line, led by Charles Grant and Will Smith, is | | | | precision than Chris Simms or Bruce Gradkowski did in |
| solid but the Saints need more big-play potential at | | | | 2006. Tampa Bay has gotten old on defense, falling |
| linebacker and in the secondary. Still, an offense as | | | | from the top 10 in the league for the first time in a |
| potent as New Orleans' will win a lot of games. | | | | decade last season while ranking 31st in sacks with |
| By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2006) | | | | just 25. |
| SU: 64-80 | | | | By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2006) |
| ATS: 69-72-3 | | | | SU: 77-67 |
| HF: 14-24-1 | | | | ATS: 69-69-6 |
| HD: 10-16-2 | | | | HF: 30-26-2 |
| AF: 9-6 | | | | HD: 9-2-1 |
| AD: 32-25 | | | | AF: 15-18 |
| Sportsbook Buster: The Saints are 8-2 ATS their last | | | | AD: 15-21-2 |
| 10 games versus the 49ers, who they play in San | | | | Sportsbook Buster: The Buccaneers are 5-1 ATS |
| Francisco, Oct. 28. | | | | versus the Rams, who they play at home, Sept. 23. |
| NFL Betting Angle: New Orleans has been a miserable | | | | NFL Betting Angle: Tampa Bay was 3-1 ATS last year |
| bet at home, compiling just a 24-40-3 record ATS the | | | | and is 9-2-1 ATS the last nine seasons in the role of a |
| last nine seasons. | | | | home underdog. |
| CAROLINA PANTHERS (8-8 SU, 5-9-2 ATS): Injuries | | | | ATLANTA FALCONS (7-9 SU, 8-8 ATS): The |
| ravaged the Panthers and the team that made it to | | | | Falcons didn't figure to be a playoff contender with QB |
| the Super Bowl a year earlier couldn't even make to a | | | | Mike Vick so their fortunes are even dimmer now that |
| winning record in 2006. The offense struggled last | | | | Vick is likely to miss the season defending himself |
| year with inconsistent play from QB Jake Delhomme | | | | against a federal indictment for dog-fighting sand |
| and a ground game that finished 24th in the NFL, | | | | gambling. New Head Coach Bobby Petrino will have to |
| prompting Head Coach John Fox to fire offensive | | | | overhaul an offense that has been dependent on Vick |
| coordinator Dan Henning and replace him with Jeff | | | | since his arrival in Atlanta seven years ago. The |
| Davidson. The Carolina defense was as good as the | | | | defense, which played well last year, gets a new |
| offense was bad last year with DE Julius Peppers | | | | coordinator in Mike Zimmer, from Dallas. |
| leading the way. The Panthers also have a quality | | | | By the Numbers (Regular Season, 2002-2006) |
| secondary and hope that No. 1 draft choice Jon | | | | SU: 70-73-1 |
| Beason (Miami) will be the playmaker they need at | | | | ATS: 68-70-6 |
| linebacker. | | | | HF: 22-21-2 |
| By the Numbers (Regular Season, 1998-2006) | | | | HD: 10-17 |
| SU: 64-80 | | | | AF: 9-6-1 |
| ATS: 71-66-7 | | | | AD: 27-26-3 |
| HF: 20-27-1 | | | | Sportsbook Buster: The Falcons are 4-0 ATS versus |
| HD: 13-9-2 | | | | the Lions at home their last four meetings. The teams |
| AF: 8-12-1 | | | | meet in Tampa Bay, Nov. 11. |
| AD: 27-19-3 | | | | NFL Betting Angle: Atlanta is 9-2 as an underdog after |
| Sportsbook Buster: The Panthers are 6-0 ATS versus | | | | a bye week. This year, Atlanta travels to Tampa Bay, |
| the Saints, their last half-dozen meetings. | | | | Nov. 4, after its open week. |