NFL

Can’t Bear to bet against Saints

Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365 at PhilSteele.com and follow him on Twitter @philsteele042.

Saints (Pick) over BEARS: Both teams sit on top of their division after the first quarter of the season, but there is a huge difference statistically. The Saints are plus-115 yards per game vs. the No. 18 schedule while the Bears are minus-32 yards per game vs. the No. 17 schedule. New Orleans’ offense ranks No. 4 in the NFL with the Sean Payton and Drew Brees duo back together, but the defense is what has been the most impressive as it ranks sixth. Better offense, better defense and a better coach makes this an easy pick on the Saints.

RAMS (-11¹/₂) over Jaguars: Yes, I am playing against Jacksonville again. The Jaguars have now lost 16 of their last 17 games while the 4 losses this year have been by an average of 24.5 ppg. Rams have struggled on offense in their last two games, but that was against the No. 11 scoring defense of Dallas and last year’s No. 3 defense, San Francisco, which was riled up after two straight losses. Rams offense will awaken vs. this year’s No. 30 scoring defense.

LAST WEEK (NFL): 1-1. SEASON: 3-5.