Over/Under Wins in 2019 for Bridgewater & Rudolph Set at 6.5
- New Orleans’ favorable schedule makes Bridgewater a strong bet for the “Over”
- Saints currently 10th overall in all-purpose yards
- Rudolph and Steelers have tough schedule with games against Ravens, Chargers
Teddy Bridgewater or Mason Rudolph?
Both quarterbacks will be forced into action heading into Week 3 as the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers lost Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger, respectively, to long-term injuries.
Over/Under odds on which of the two young quarterbacks will record more victories have been released, with the opening line set at 6.5 for both.
Can either Bridgewater or Rudolph surpass that mark?
Teddy Bridgewater Total Wins As Starter
| Projection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 6.5 wins | -200 |
| Under 6.5 wins | +150 |
Odds taken September 09/17/19
The Saints saw their Super Bowl odds take a huge hit after Brees suffered a torn ligament in his thumb — an injury that will keep the former Super Bowl MVP out at least six weeks.
Bridgewater, who is the NFL’s highest paid backup QB, has experience as a starter which may ease some of the tension. The question is, can the 26-year-old put up a winning record in Brees’ absence to reach the “Over” of 7 wins this season?
Bridgewater will be tested right out of the gate as the Saints travel to Seattle for a matchup against the Seahawks in Week 3. The following week won’t get any easier as the Saints play host to the undefeated Dallas Cowboys.
New Orleans Has Favorable Schedule
The Saints also have games against Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Chicago and Arizona leading up to a Week 9 Bye. Aside from a tough game against the Bears, Bridgewater and the Saints are capable of winning the others.
Heading into Week 3, the Saints sit 10th overall in all-purpose yards with 754 — with 549 of those yards coming in the air.
Bridgewater will also benefit from playing behind one of the best offensive lines in football. Brees was only sacked once in two games before suffering the injury, so expect Bridgewater to get the same kind of protection from the offensive line.
Even if Bridgewater wins four of the six games Brees is expected to miss, that gives the Super Bowl champion plenty of time to hit the “Over” on 6.5 wins for the Saints.
Pick: Over 6.5 (-200)
Mason Rudolph Total Wins As Starter
| Projection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 6.5 wins | -120 |
| Under 6.5 wins | -120 |
The Steelers were once considered a -150 favorite to win he AFC North before dropping to +700 after Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury that will require surgery.
Can Rudolph carry the Steelers back to division contention? Unlike with Bridgewater, Pittsburgh has a much tougher path to getting to the “Over” on total wins.
Rudolph replaced Big Ben in the second half and turned in a solid performance. The second-year QB went 12-of-19 with 112 yards and with a TD pass to tight end Vance MacDonald.
Steelers Playing From Behind At 0-2
Starting the season 0-2 will make it difficult for the Steelers to get to 7 wins, but expect back-to-back victories in Weeks 3 and 4 as Pittsburgh faces the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.
However, Rudolph will be tested in Weeks 5 and 6 with matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively.
One cause for concern heading into the third week of action is the fact that the Steelers’ top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has yet to score a touchdown this season.
Expect Rudolph to find his top target in the end zone on multiple occasions over the next couple weeks, but his inexperience as a starter will show by mid-season in what’s expected to be a long year for the Steelers.
Pick: Under 6.5 (-120)
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
