Saints vs. 49ers prediction, pick, odds for NFL preseason Week 2 game for Sun. 8/18

Saints vs. 49ers Betting Trends

• 18% of bets and 80% of the money are on the Saints to cover the spread.
• 63% of bets and 51% of the money are on the under.

All data via Action Network's public betting percentages and as of Saturday afternoon.

John LanFranca's Saints vs. 49ers Preview

Every training camp report out of New Orleans is headlined by the lack of protection Derek Carr has received from his offensive line over the course of the summer. With that said, the Saints find themselves as the healthier team of the two heading into their game with the 49ers on Sunday.

While Saints head coach Dennis Allen has remained silent on how much his starters will play in this game, I’d be surprised if Brock Purdy ends up playing more than Derek Carr. Regardless, the Saints' competition for the backup quarterback job makes them the team to focus on.

Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have the luxury of playing his starters on offense — even if he wanted to. He has already publicly stated that their third preseason game is the team's main focus of the exhibition season.

Six of the Niners’ offensive starters are either dealing with injuries or holding out at this point, including three offensive lineman. San Francisco isn’t a team with much depth up front, so it’s doubtful that its makeshift offensive line is going to be out there for very long just for the sake of staying healthy.

The same can be said for the running backs room, in which three of the top four players on their depth chart at the position are dealing with injuries. Jordan Mason, the leader in the clubhouse for the RB2 spot behind Christian McCaffrey, is the last man standing. Mason had 34 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers first preseason game, while the other running backs behind him combined to gain 6 rushing yards on 11 carries. I’d be surprised if Mason gets more than a series or two, which isn’t a great thing for an offense that averaged just over five yards per play last week.

For the Saints offense, there's quite a bit of optimism surrounding their backup quarterback battle between youngsters Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Haener, the second-year man out of Fresno State, was ultra-efficient in the Saints’ previous game, completing 9-of-13 passes at an 8.2 yards per attempt clip. It was clear he felt comfortable commanding this offense, leading two scoring drives in the second quarter against the Cardinals.

As for Rattler, the numbers definitely didn’t jump off the page, but going back to watch tape to add context is where things got exciting.

Rattler, first and foremost, displayed good presence navigating the pocket. He is mobile enough to add the escapability crucial to success in today’s NFL, and he rushed for a score last week when a play broke down in the redzone. Rattler also attacked all areas of the field, including throws outside the numbers that resulted in two drops down the field and another that probably should have been called for defensive pass interference.

How to Watch Saints vs. 49ers Start Time, Channel, Location

Saints vs. 49ers will be broadcast live on FOX. Saints-49ers is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

My Saints vs. 49ers Prediction

Rattler ended up leading the game-winning drive, which bodes well for his chances to be the second Saints QB in the game on Sunday. Even if Derek Carr doesn't play much, I’m confident both Haener and Rattler can orchestrate drives to put up points.

The 49ers, on the other hand, seem like a team that simply needs to stay healthy. I'm backing the Saints here to get a win on the road.

Pick: Saints +1.5 (-115, FanDuel)