New Orleans Saints betting preview 2026: Odds, futures, win total prediction, sportsbook promos and more

Here are some of the best prop bets for New Orleans in 2026.

Best Saints futures bet

The Saints are expected to make a leap in 2026 under head coach Kellen Moore and second-year QB Tyler Shough. Shough took over the starting job in New Orleans midway through the season, and the team showed massive improvement. The QB invigorated a beleaguered offense that needed it badly. With the recent offseason additions, including dynamic running back Travis Ettiene Jr., the Saints are the trendy pick to exceed expectations and become an eight or nine win team this season.

Best Saints player prop

Did anyone foresee Jaxon Smith-Njigba winning the Offensive Player of the Year last season? That’s just one of the reasons, if you like the Saints, that you should place a bet on Chris Olave this year. He had career-highs in touchdowns (9) and receiving yards (1,163) and in turn with an expected leap from second-year QB Tyler Shough and the offense as a whole, Olave becoming one of the best receivers in the league isn’t completely out of the question. The only thing stopping him is his health. He was dealing with a blood clot this offseason that kept him limited for workouts, but he should be good for Week 1. If the Saints reach sky high heights this season, Olave will be part of the reason why.

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Nine wins for the Saints is not out of the question here. The NFC South is one of the most mediocre divisions in football, and it’s completely plausible that with a solid season from Shough, Olave and new additions Travis Etienne and Jordan Tyson, the offense can carry this team to an NFC South title. We’ve seen the turnarounds like the Washington Commanders a couple years ago and just last year with the New England Patriots. This year, it just might be the New Orleans Saints. And a bet to nine wins has just enough value that its worth it at this point in the summer.

Saints win total prediction: 9-8

If you like the Saints to make the playoffs and win the NFC South, placing a bet on them to win the Super Bowl isn’t as crazy as it seems. Head coach Kellen Moore has experience in the big game, he was part of the staff that led Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles to a Lombardi Trophy in 2024. If there’s one team that can surprise everyone this year, it’s New Orleans.

The expectations for Shough in his second season are quite lofty. The Louisville product had a stellar season in the 11 games he played in 2025, throwing for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. If he continues at that rate and avoids a sophomore slump, Shough could have an MVP candidate season. We’ve seen similar jumps for second year QBs in the right offensive system like Drake Maye last season. This isn’t to say the Saints will be this year’s Patriots but that as long as Shough stays healthy, he will shine much like the other young QBs have in the past. Remember, Shough is 26 years old already, that’s older than many of the starting QBs in the league over the past three years.

Olave posted the most productive season of his NFL career in 2025, with a career-high in receiving yards (1,163) and touchdowns (9). He proved that he should be mentioned as one of the most talented receivers in the NFL and is a sure-fire No. 1 WR on this New Orleans team. With the target share he should command and Tyler Shough likely to take the next step in his development, Olave could shine and even be a part of the Offensive Player of the Year conversation when things are said and done. It all is contingent upon his health. He played only eight games in 2024 while dealing with multiple injuries but played in 16 in 2025. If Olave is on the field most likely it will lead to huge games and win for this New Orleans squad.

Etienne posted 260 carries, 1,107 yards and 7 TDs in 17 games last season. He was one of the best running back in the game despite not necessarily being in a lead back role in Jacksonville. He cashed in on his spectacular season by signing and four-year, $28 million guaranteed deal with the Saints and despite the fact that the team still has Alvin Kamara, Kamara’s time as the featured back in New Orleans is likely going to come to an end with Etienne returning to his hometown. We know that Kellen Moore’s offensive system emphasizes the running game and that OPOY season from Saquon Barkley in 2024 came with Moore as play-caller in Philadelphia. While we aren’t expecting 2,000 yards from Etienne is his first season with the Saints, over 800 seems like a good bet for a run-heavy offense that will support Tyler Shough in his ascendance.

The New Orleans Saints have the second-easiest schedule in 2026. The most difficult stretch for this team is at the start of the season with key road games against an explosive Detroit Lions team, followed by a matchup with the always fierce Baltimore Ravens. They have an international game in Paris this year against the Pittsburgh Steelers and host the Atlanta Falcons in primetime. The advantage the Saints have is that their schedule, outside of their trip to Europe, does not require a lot of traveling. This will be crucial for the final stretch for New Orleans who have three divisional road games against NFC South opponents to finish the year. These will most likely involve tie-breakers and a potential play-in game for the playoffs just like last season.