The first week of the NFL preseason is set to begin, and on Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to face the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is seeking his third Super Bowl ring in 2023.
The Saints are entering year two under head coach Dennis Allen, and they’ll have a new quarterback orchestrating the offense in Derek Carr. New Orleans finished with a 7-10 record in 2022 in an NFC South, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division crown with an 8-9 record.
Seeing that it’s the first week of the preseason, how much Mahomes and Carr play on Sunday remains to be seen.
Chiefs vs Saints Odds
NFL odds used for this Kansas City vs New Orleans preview were found at DraftKings Sportsbook and are current as of August 7 at 1:30 ET.
- Moneyline: Saints (-170) • Chiefs (+142)
- Spread: Saints -3 (-110) • Chiefs +3 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 37.5 (-110) • Under 37.5 (-110)
- Implied Score: Saints 19.5, Chiefs 17.5
Chiefs vs Saints Predictions
Score Pick: Chiefs 20, Saints 16
The Saints are entering Sunday’s preseason opener as slight favorites over the Chiefs. With Carr looking to improve his chemistry with his new pass catchers in New Orleans, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the start in the first week of the preseason.
Meanwhile, Andy Reid has typically played his starters for one or two drives to begin the preseason. So there’s a decent chance we see Mahomes get an opportunity to lead the Chiefs down the field to begin the game.
Even with the Chiefs likely being more cautious with their starters than the Saints, the defending champions should come away with the victory in Sunday’s exhibition match.
Chiefs vs Saints Best Bets & Props
Chiefs Moneyline (+142)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Reid has produced a 44-46 record in the preseason throughout his coaching career. However, Reid has won five of its last six preseason matchups in the last two seasons with the Chiefs.
On the other side of the field, Allen went 1-2 in his first preseason as the head coach of the Saints in 2022. Carr will also need time to acclimate to his new teammates and offense as he prepares for his debut campaign in New Orleans, making this our NFL bet of the day.
Chiefs Team Total Over 17.5 Points (+100)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Since Mahomes became the starting signal-caller for the Chiefs, Reid has typically deployed him in the preseason opener for somewhere around one or two offensive series. And when Mahomes is operating the offense for the Chiefs, there’s a good chance they are coming away with points.
Once Mahomes exits the game, it will be a combination of Blaine Gabbert, Shane Buechele, and Chris Oladokun at quarterback for the Chiefs. Kansas City is still holding a wide receiver competition this preseason, so the offense could be aggressive in passing the ball in Sunday’s exhibition game.
Chiefs to win by 1-6 points (+380)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 units
During the preseason, there aren’t many blowouts, as teams tend to reserve most of their playbooks for the regular season. The preseason is a chance for teams to get back into playing live-action games against an opposing team while also getting a look at certain players.
The Chiefs want a decent look at their wide receivers on Sunday, which should lead to more aggressive play calls by Reid and company. With expectations uncertain surrounding the Saints under Allen, the Chiefs could win a competitive contest in the first week of the preseason.
Chiefs vs Saints Same Game Parlay
No Same Game Parlays are available for this game, but this section will be updated if they become available.
