Saints Mailbag (May 29): Fans Say Oddsmakers Highly Underrate This Team

The over / under win total for New Orleans is 7.5, but one would be hard-pressed to find a Who Dat taking the under

Most fans of the New Orleans Saints think that quarterback Tyler Shough alone is enough to think the team will have a much better record than they had in 2025. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

We ran a short earlier this week on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok talking about the projected win total for the New Orleans Saints, which the oddsmakers have set at 7.5 and have remained steady there. Also, their chances of winning the mediocre NFC South is somewhere just north of 3-to-1.

But Who Dats don’t want to hear that! Rather, one one have a tough time finding a Saints fan that thinks the floor for this team is anything under 8. Most think 10 wins and a division title is a fait accompli.

As we reopen the mailbag on this Friday (May 29), we go through some of the dozens (maybe hundreds) of responses we received on this topic, including Friday’s Dattitude Podcast with Jim Derry, in which many fans weighed in live.

If you have a something to say, email to me at jim@jimderry.com or join the live Dattitude Podcast with Jim Derry each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. CT. Selected responses will be highlighted here.

“Tyler (Shough) is a different cat. Older and more mature. And the offense this year will be very different so last year’s tape may not help as much as folks think. Tendencies will show but the gameplan won’t. This is a 10-win team.”

From: @dough3859 on YouTube

My prediction is that they have a ton of one-score games and lose more than half of them. That will set them up to have the confidence to win them in 2027, which is when I think this team will exit rebuilding mode.

Also, Shough has done a ton to make sure he doesn’t have that “sophomore slump,” but let’s face it: Even some of the best have one.

It should help there are more weapons around him, but there’s still the fact of a second-year YOUNG coach and a schedule that looks easier at first glance, but a start at Detroit, at Baltimore and a four of five on the road stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas with a home game vs. Green Bay sandwiched in spells trouble.

“Oddsmakers don’t play the game. This team could go 3-14 or 14-3. This team has a mixture of talent and youth with enough youth and just enough experienced players. So in reality there is no roof. No one predicted Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes would have the success they have had, and I sure as hell know the oddsmakers didn't predict it.”

From: Stephen Ramoz on Facebook

Oddsmakers don't play, but they make a hell of a lot of money. 0.0 percent chance this team is going 14-3. 0.0 they're going 3-14 barring injuries to multiple key players.

How many Tom Bradys and Patrick Mahomes have there been in the history of the NFL? (PS Patrick Mahomes was a first-round draft pick.) Also, Brady sat behind Drew Bledsoe and Mahomes behind Alex Smith before they got a chance to play.)

In other words, your theory opens with a major flaw. I promise you the oddsmakers are right way more than they’re wrong.

From: @dough3859 on YouTube

“If this offense is just a little better than what we ended the year with, we’re going to the Super Bowl and by all looks all I can say is wow watch out.”

From: John Monroe on Facebook

Hey, I love the incredible optimism, but if this team goes to the Super Bowl, I will … Wait. Maybe I shouldn’t promise to do anything too rash just yet. Ha.