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Will the New Orleans Saints’ season end on Sunday? A loss to the Atlanta Falcons would eliminate them from playoff contention, and those in the know aren’t in agreement that the Saints can avoid it. According to Week 18 game picks surveyed by NFL Pickwatch, a 76% majority of experts are siding with the Saints as of noon ET Friday. That leaves a sizeable 24% minority angling for a Falcons upset.
Ironically, that’s the same ratio of game picks coming in for the Los Angeles Rams (76%) and San Francisco 49ers (24%). New Orleans needs to beat Atlanta while hoping for a Rams win to get them into the postseason, and while that appears to be likely, it’s far from certain.
Getting all hands on deck would help. The Saints welcomed All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk back at practice this week after a knee injury sidelined him for seven games. More starters clearing COVID-19 protocols like center Erik McCoy and free safety Marcus Williams would do a lot to help build confidence in New Orleans ahead of the regular season finale.
But the experts have been wrong before. A staggering 99% of them picked against the Saints before their 9-0 road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just a few weeks ago. Ultimately, they’re guessing about game results just like everyone else. Let’s see if the Saints can prove them right this time.
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