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New Orleans Saints vs Detroit Lions preview, predictions, betting odds, live stream info

By Phil Watson

Nov 28, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view as the national anthem is sung before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view as the national anthem is sung before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit LIons

The New Orleans Saints look to get back to .500 after their bye week as they visit the Detroit Lions, co-leaders of the NFC North, Sunday afternoon. The Saints (2-3) stumbled out to a 1-3 start, but came back from 11 down in the fourth quarter to clip Tampa Bay in overtime two weeks ago. The Lions (4-2) were without injured offensive stars Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush, but the defense came up with eight quarterback sacks in a 17-3 win at Minnesota last week. The Saints lead the all-time series 11-9-1 in the regular season and their last meeting was the lone postseason matchup between the sides, a 45-28 New Orleans win at the Superdome in an NFC Wild Card Playoff after the 2011 season.

Details for Sunday’s game are below:

Date: Sunday, Oct. 19
Start Time: 1 p.m. EDT
Location: Detroit
Stadium: Ford Field
TV Info: FOX
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
Radio: Sirius XM Radio
Ticket information: For Lions ticket info click here. For Saints ticket info click here.

Keys to Victory

Ezekiel Ansah earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 2½ of Detroit’s eight sacks against rookie Teddy Bridgewater last week, so that puts the New Orleans offensive line in the crosshairs as the key unit of the game. Drew Brees will already be without his favorite target, tight end Jimmy Graham—out with a shoulder injury—and will need to be protected in order to spread the ball around to his other weapons. Opponents only have five sacks in five games against the Saints, while the Lions have gotten to the opposing quarterback 20 times in six games—so something has to give.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Saints plus 2½

Moneyline: Saints plus-120, Lions minus-140

O/U: 48½

Prediction

The Saints were already playing inconsistently with Graham available and going against Detroit’s tough pass rush is a bad time for a quarterback to be without his security blanket. Rob Ryan’s defense has struggled to stop teams all year and the Lions are looking for a breakout offensive performance after scoring only 81 points in five games since blowing up for 35 in their opener.

Final Score: Lions 27, Saints 24

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