Saints Given Best Odds Among NFC Teams to Make Super Bowl 54; Are They the Best Bet?

• The New Orleans Saints had their easiest win of the season on Monday, beating the Indianapolis Colts 34-7
• The Saints are now the No. 3 seed in the NFC with a record of 11-3. Three other NFC teams have the same record
• New Orleans is still favored to win the conference even though they’re behind two other teams in the standings

The New Orleans Saints earned an easy 34-7 win on Monday Night Football to improve to 11-3. Although they’re the No. 3 seed in the NFC, they’re the favorites to win the conference.

Does that make sense or is there value on the NFC championship odds with one of the teams that are ahead of them in the standings?

NFC Championship Odds

Odds taken Dec. 17

Saints Smoke Colts On Monday Night Football

The Saints easily disposed of the Colts on Monday in what was one of their easiest wins of the season. They were leading 17-0 at the half and 34-0 after three quarters as their offense faced no resistance. To put some perspective to it, Drew Brees had just one incompletion as he went 29-of-30 for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, the Saints defense was smothering. It was an important bounce back for them as they allowed 46 points to the San Francisco 49ers the week before and needed to get back on track. The Saints have now won four of five and after losing in the NFC Championship game last year, it’s clear they have their eye on the prize.

Top Teams in NFC Are Flawed

There are currently four teams in the NFC who have the same record at 11-3 and two of them are ahead of the Saints: the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. The San Francisco 49ers are also at 11-3 but because they’ve lost the tiebreaker the Seahawks, they’re in the No. 5 seed for now.

The Seahawks are a quality team but they have some question marks on defense. That unit gives up 24.6 points per game, which is 21st in the NFL. If the playoffs started today, that would be the worst mark of any of the 12 teams who qualified.

As for the 49ers, they’ve been strong this season as their three losses have come on the game-ending play. They’ve also beaten the Saints. However, this team is really banged upright with a slew of injuries. And unless they beat the Seahawks in Week 17, they’ll be on the road for most of their playoff games.

Lastly, the Packers are also 11-3 and currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC but they look like they have some serious flaws. Their run defense is among the worst in the NFL, giving up 120.9 rushing yards per game (24th in the NFL). No NFC team that’s currently in playoff position has a worse mark.

On the other side of the ball, the Packers have some questions as they tend to score points early in games and then fade late. The Packers score 23.6 points per game but only 10.8 after the half (19th in the NFL). That would also be the worst number among any team that’s currently in a playoff spot.

While the NFC standings are bunched up near the top, it’s clear that there are some real vulnerabilities among the main teams that the Saints are contending with.

What’s the Best Bet?

The Saints are the No. 3 seed right now but that could change. The Packers are an underdog at the Minnesota Vikings this week, so maybe the Saints inch up to second place. At any rate, the Saints are in good shape in terms of the team health, they’re experienced and they’re quite balanced. They’re the best bet to win the NFC right now.