Denver Broncos

Broncos at Saints: Preview, Predictions, and More

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints

It was never in question that the New Orleans Saints would be able to score points. For so many years with Drew Brees under-center, that’s been a given. However, their defense let them down mightily early in the year, but has since stepped up slightly while the offense hummed to have the Saints’ fortunes looking up. We’ll see if that continues at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday in Week 10 when they welcome the Denver Broncos.

Brees and the Saints offense has looked more dangerous than ever of late. Not only has rookie receiver Michael Thomas stepped up to form a dynamic wideout trio with Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead, but their running game has found life too. Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower have been moving the ball well on the ground as of late and will hope to continue that trend as well.

For as much as New Orleans relies on their offense, the Broncos rely on their defense and Von Miller to get them by. Trevor Siemian has struggled recently at quarterback and the offense has suffered because of that. However, this defense is talented enough to come through with enough stops and big plays to still win a game. Can they do it against the high-octane attack of the Saints, though? That’s the biggest question on Sunday in the Big Easy.

Here are the keys to victory for each game:

Keys to Victory

As Ingram and Hightower have been getting it going recently, the Saints have to commit to running the ball and find a way to do it effectively. While the Denver defense is dangerous, their weak point is against the run. So if New Orleans can pick up first downs and move the ball on the ground, that will help the offense not only keep moving, but also open up the passing game to really try and attack this Broncos team.

The Broncos key to victory is similar to that of the Saints in that they have to run the football. Devontae Booker was lackluster in their loss last week. However, the New Orleans defense is more than generous and should be a much better matchup. What it boils down to is that Denver can’t put the game in Siemian’s hands. It’s been long enough to determine that he’s not a very good NFL quarterback, so riding the running game will be pivotal.

Odds:

Point Spread: New Orleans -3
Moneyline: New Orleans -150, Denver +130
Over/Under: 50.5

Prediction

In theory, the Broncos should win this one going away. However, I can’t shake the feeling that the Saints offense right now can’t be stopped, only slowed down. Contrarily, Siemian can be stopped time and time and time again—even by the Saints. Give the New Orleans in the dome.

Pick: Denver Broncos: 20, New Orleans Saints: 31