Saints at Washington Football Team: Week 5 NFL Betting Lines

This offseason, Sean Payton kept the football world in suspense by not revealing his starting QB until just days before the season. And after the Saints blew out Green Bay in the season opener with Jameis Winston throwing for five TDs, it looked like he had made the right choice.

Since then, the Saints have come back down to earth with a mediocre record of 2-2, including a disappointing 27-21 loss to the winless Giants Sunday. Now they head to D.C. to take on the Washington Football Team, which has a laundry list of problems. Keep reading as we break down the football lines and take a deeper look at the Saints at Washington.

A Team of Two Faces

The New Orleans Saints have been quite the rollercoaster ride this year. They put the league on notice with a 38-3 Week 1 beatdown of the Green Bay Packers but promptly followed that up with an ugly 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

They then headed to New England and made things right with a convincing win against the Patriots before laying an egg at home last Sunday with a 27-21 loss to the bottom-dwelling Giants. So, it’s anyone’s guess what to expect when the Saints head back out on the road to square off against the Washington Football Team this week.

What Happened to the Vaunted D?

Washington came into the season regarded as one of the best overall defensive teams in the league. Their fearsome front-four, which includes sophomore standout Chase Young, was expected to terrorize opposing quarterbacks and shut down the run game all season long.

But in a league where you should expect the unexpected, the WFT defense has looked anything but scary. The Football Team has given up 122 points through four games, good for third-worst in the league. Those are concerning numbers for the fourth-best team in the league last year, surrendering on average just 20.6 points per game.

Saints at Washington: NFL Betting Lines

While the Saints fell to the New York Giants at home on Sunday, the WFT escaped the Falcons with a last-second win thanks to the heroics of QB Taylor Heinicke and RB J.D. McKissic. Both teams now sit at 2-2 and are looking to keep building on what they hope are playoff seasons.

The NFL football betting lines opened up with the Saints -1.5 road favorites, with the O/U at 44.5. This year, the Saints are 2-2 against the spread (ATS) and have hit the under in three of four matches. Meanwhile, the Football Team are 1-3 ATS while nailing the over three out of four times.

I love the over this week as both teams have been in high-scoring affairs for several weeks now. In the last three WFT games, the point total has been no lower than 54.

The Saints are coming off a game with the Giants where the teams combined for 48 points, and I expect similar results in this week’s contest, if not higher. I believe the Saints will pull out a 28-24 victory in this one.

An Early-Season Pivotal Game

While it’s only Week 5, and must-win games are usually reserved for much later in the season, I see the Saints at Washington as a game that will define both teams for the rest of the year.

Both squads sit at 2-2, so their playoff hopes are still very much alive. However, this week’s matchup is going to tell both these teams (and bettors) what they’re made of.

For all of the best odds on this week’s action, head to BetMGM’s online sports betting site to place your bet today.