New Orleans at Minnesota

New Orleans dealt away speedy WR Brandin Cooks in the offseason, but the offense will have better balance with a backfield of RBs Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, and rookie Alvin Kamara. The Saints still have an elite QB in Drew Brees and are on a 10-3 ATS run, including 9-1 ATS on the road. New Orleans led the NFL in total offense last year at 426 yards per game. The organization loaded up on help for the defense. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen loves to be deceptive and diverse in his scheme. It's no surprise the Saints drafted a man coverage corner, Marshon Lattimore, in the first round, then took free safety Marcus Williams in the second round, shoring up two huge areas from last season. The Saints will be a big nickel-base defense, playing with two linebackers and three safeties, which forces teams like Minnesota to run more. The Vikings had no balance last season, but added depth to the offensive line, along with rookie RB Dalvin Cook. And the plan is to run more, which chews up yards and the clock. Minnesota is 17-5 UNDER the total at home in the first two weeks of the season. Minnesota boasts five Pro Bowl selections on its defense that ranked third in the league last season in yards allowed. The Vikings are on a 10-4 run UNDER the total against the NFC, and Mike Zimmer's defense returns nearly every starter. The Vikings defensive line combined for 34 sacks, second-highest total in the NFL behind Carolina (36), but the Saints can hang with them, 13-4 ATS run as an underdog while Coach Sean Payton is 34-20 ATS as a dog, so back the visitors in a defensive duel. Play New Orleans and UNDER the total.