Saints Hope to End Home Skid Against Ravens on Monday Night

New Orleans Opened as a 4-point Home Favorite Against Baltimore.

NFL Week 12 will end in Louisiana as the Baltimore Ravens (6-4) visit the New Orleans Saints (4-6) on Monday Night Football. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened this game New Orleans -4 with the total at 49.5 (click here to check latest NFL odds).

The Ravens broke a two-game losing streak before their bye two weeks ago with a win 21-7 against the Tennessee Titans in Baltimore. But they have struggled away from home this year, going just 2-3 straight-up and 1-3-1 against the spread in those games. Although the Saints have not played well this season, the Superdome is always a tough place to play for opponents.

Both of these teams average the exact same number of points on the season at 26.1 per game. So this game is very likely to be decided by the two defenses, and that is where Baltimore has the edge. The Ravens currently rank 11th in total defense, allowing 335.7 yards per game and fifth where it really counts - points allowed - as they are giving up just 18.1 points per game.

The divisions of these teams could not be more different. Every team in the AFC North is above .500 while every team in the NFC South is below .500. But that does not change the importance of this game for both teams. Each is trying to keep pace with the leaders in their respective divisions.

The Saints have not been doing very well for their backers this season, going just 4-6 ATS so far. But for those who have been paying attention to totals in New Orleans games, the "over" is 7-3 through the first 10 games.

Led by quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints offense has been solid as usual, as they currently rank second in the NFL in total yards at 424.5 per game. Where the concern has been is on the defensive side of the ball. They are just 20th in the league in total defense, allowing 369.9 yards per game. And New Orleans has also struggled keeping teams out of the end zone, allowing 25.2 points per game, which is 21st in the NFL.

If the Saints are going to win this game, they need to slow down the Baltimore offense, which loves to take deep shots with QB Joe Flacco throwing downfield to wide receivers Steve Smith and Torrey Smith. Bettors can expect to see a decent amount of points scored in this one.

Here are some NFL trends to watch for in the Monday Night Football game: New Orleans is 25-9 ATS in its last 34 games at home; the "over" is 5-2 for the Saints in their last seven games and 13-6 for the Ravens in their previous 19 games as road underdogs.

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