49ers open up as 9-point favorites over the Saints in Week 12

The 49ers won decidedly against the Cardinals in Mexico City on Monday night, and equally important for some of us, covered the spread and nearly hit the over themselves. The 49ers are 3-1 since acquiring Christian McCaffrey. They’ll look to go 4-1 as they return home next week against the New Orleans Saints.

For another week, San Francisco is more than a touchdown favorite. They’re favored by nine points on DraftKings SportsBook, with the total on the game set at 43. Low totals and higher spreads generally mean the underdog will keep the game close.

The Saints beat the Rams 27-20 last week. Andy Dalton completed 21 of his 25 attempts for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Taysom Hill ran for 52 yards, while Alvin Kamara ran for 42 yards. The story of that game was Chris Olave, who had six receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. That’ll be the player the 49ers need to stop.

The Rams hit on a couple of big plays, including a 62-yard touchdown to Tutu Atwell. The Saints are 23rd in team DVOA. They are 23rd on offense and 15th on defense. Compare that to the 49ers, who are sixth as a team, 11th on offense, and 7th on defense. There’s a reason this spread is so high.