Chiefs vs Saints Prediction - NFL Picks 8/13/23

The Kansas City Chiefs will play the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the NFL Preseason on Sunday afternoon at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kansas City is coming off of a Super Bowl victory and they will look to continue that momentum into this season, while the Saints look to bounce back from a sub .500 record. 

Chiefs Preview

The Kansas City Chiefs were 14-3 last season and they finished first in the AFC West. Kansas City defeated Jacksonville, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia in the postseason and won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs averaged 29.2 points per game, which was first in the NFL, while the defense allowed 21.7 points against per game last year. Kansas City lost some important members of their 2022 roster, but Mahomes and Kelce will still be terrorizing defenses this year. Andy Reid announced that Mahomes would get some playing time in this game, but I doubt it will be for more than two series. Once Mahomes exits, we should see Blaine Gabbert, Shane Buechele, and Chris Oladokun under center. It is always interesting to see what kind of depth the Chiefs can put together, particularly at the wide receiver position, so keep an eye out for those position battles. 

Saints Preview

The New Orleans Saints were 7-10 last year and they finished third in the NFC South. New Orleans ended the season on a positive note, winning three of their last four games. The Saints did start the season with a 3-7 record and they were unable to dig out of that hole. New Orleans scored 19.4 points per game and they allowed 20.3 points against per game. The defense was solid last year, as they were in the top ten for points against, and they allowed exactly 10 points in each of their last three games. We will see the starters in this game for the Saints, but they will only get a few series. Derek Carr will be the starting quarterback, followed by Jameis Winston and Jake Haener. The Saints need a solid quarterback and I think Carr will provide that for them.