NFL Week 11 Picks: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, 11/17/13, 4:25 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: New Orleans -3
Current Betting Line: New Orleans -3
Opening Total: 47.5
Current Total: 47.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Cardinals vs. 49ers NFL Preview — The San Francisco 49ers should find success on the ground against the New Orleans Saints

San Francisco had its five-game winning streak snapped last time out, as it suffered a 10-9 setback to the Carolina Panthers as six-point home favorites in Week 10, while going UNDER the betting total for the first time in four contests. The 49ers will look to get running back Frank Gore going, as the Saints have allowed opponents to gain five years per rush during the 2013 campaign. He has gained 70 or more yards in each of the team’s last seven affairs. San Francisco is 6-4 SU and 6-3-1 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 7-3 in that situation.

The 49ers have to be discouraged about quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s performance last week, as he finished with 91 passing yards and was sacked a season-high six times. “We didn’t play well enough to win the game offensively,” commented 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco has won two straight over New Orleans, including a 36-32 victory in a divisional playoff game Jan. 14, 2012.

New Orleans has alternated wins and losses over its last four games, with each of those contests going OVER the betting total, which is important to consider when looking over the NFL betting lines. The Saints are coming off a dominating 49-17 home victory against the Dallas Cowboys—tallying a league record 40 first downs in that affair. Offensively, the team gained a regular season team-record 625 yards from scrimmage. New Orleans is 7-3 SUATS in November since 2011, with no clear edge in terms of the total (5-5 Over/Under).

The Saints have a chance of winning every game with quarterback Drew Brees, who threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns last week, but they also managed to gain 242 yards on the ground, which was much higher than their 79.8-yard average heading into that contest. New Orleans is averaging an absurd 463.6 yards and 35.2 points at home during the 2013 campaign.