Top Sportsbooks
Colts and Saints Chase Perfection
As we head into Week 10 of the 2009 NFL regular season, what was a murmur a few weeks ago, is now picking up heat: is there a perfect season brewing?
Nine weeks down and two teams still have a chance at finishing the regular season 16-0 and maybe even 19-0 through the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Colts upped their record to 8-0 straight up (5-3 against the spread) thanks to a 20-17 win over the Texans. Online sportsbooks had Indy set as a 7.5-point favorite and while their backers didn’t cash in, the winning streak stayed intact.
Ditto for the New Orleans Saints, who increased their record to 8-0 SU (6-2 ATS) when they came back in a 30-20 win over the Carolina Panthers (but failed to cover at -11.5).
What are the two teams’ chances of matching the 2007 New England Patriots or ultimately, the 1972 Miami Dolphins?
We know the old adage, “on any given Sunday”….but looking at Indianapolis’ schedule, there are three true potential stumbling blocks in the quest for a perfect regular season.
The first one is this coming week, as the Colts will play those very Patriots at home. The NFL lines are out for Week 10 and Indy is favored by a field goal.
Long-term, Indianapolis has struggled against New England going 6-14 SU (6-12-2 ATS) in their last 20 games overall, but they have been successful against the Pats more recently, going 4-1 SU and ATS in the most recent five matchups.
If they do manage to get by New England, another real test rolls in the following week when they have to travel to Baltimore.
The former Baltimore team has played well against the current Baltimore club, going 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. the Ravens.
The Denver Broncos lost out on their bid for a 16-0 regular season when they lost to Baltimore two weeks ago and if the Colts are still undefeated, the Broncos would love to hand them their first loss in mid-December.
In the last eight overall games between Denver and Indy, the Colts have the exact same record straight up as they do against Baltimore, going 6-2 SU and 6-2 ATS.
It is going to be a difficult road to 16-0 for the Peyton Manning and the Colts…the Saints have one or two less trouble spots, as a majority of their remaining games are against teams that are .500 or below (i.e. Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Washington and Carolina), but New Orleans’ final eight games won’t all be a cake-walk.
New Orleans will host the Patriots in a Monday-nighter at the end of November and they face the Falcons in December.
Atlanta is chasing the Saints for the lead in the NFC South standings and if New Orleans is still perfect, Atlanta would love to rain on their parade—the two meet at the Georgia Dome on December 13.
The Saints are only 4-4 SU in their last eight games in Atlanta but in their last eight overall against the Falcons, they are 6-2 SU.
A mere week later, the Saints will host the Dallas Cowboys at the Superdome.
The Saints and the Cowboys have met eight times in the month of December since 1990 and New Orleans is riding a 6-0 hot streak against the spread since 1994 and a five-game win streak SU since 1998.
Chances are, both teams will have blemishes in their records before the season is through, but as New England proved a few seasons ago, going 16-0 is attainable.
Who knows…we could even two undefeated teams meet in the Super Bowl.
Have a great week.
Check out SPORTSBETTING.com for a 110% sign-up bonus and 10% Re-Load bonuses on every deposit.