Despite dealing with injuries and an up-and-down season, the New Orleans Saints sit atop the NFC South at 5-5 entering Week 12 of the NFL season.
And if they can fight through a week without starting quarterback Derek Carr, they can head into December with history on their side and generate some excitement for Louisiana sportsbooks.
With one of the most important months of the NFL season coming up, LouisianaBets.com took a break from reviewing the top Louisiana sports betting promos and utilized StatMuse.com to find the records of every NFL team in December since 2013 to find the best to worst teams. Note that all teams didn’t participate in the same amount of games, so ranking is based on win percentage.
December Records Since 2013
The Saints playoff chances are very favorable with -210 odds to make the postseason vs. +175 against at betting sites like BetRivers Louisiana.
Some Strong Finishes in Playoff Years
The Saints rank No. 10 with a 23-18 record for a .561 winning percentage since 2013. The time frame includes five playoff trips, and they were 13-9 in December in those years.
New Orleans was 3-1 in December 2018 when the team was 13-3 and reached the NFC Championship Game. The Saints lost. 26-23. to the Rams in a game that included a controversial no-call on a potential pass interference that killed a Saints drive. The top three December teams since 2013 have been the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys.
Oddly enough, only the Chiefs among those teams have turned that hot December play into Super Bowl victories with two. The Packers had four trips to the NFC Championship Game, but lost all four. The Cowboys only have three playoff wins in five playoff trips in that time frame. So, December success doesn’t always lead to playoff success.
Louisiana betting apps still see the Chiefs as a Super Bowl favorite despite Monday’s loss to Philadelphia. Kansas City and the Eagles are tied for the best Super Bowl title odds with San Francisco at +450.
Carr, who has started all 10 games despite battling a shoulder injury, is still in the concussion protocol as the Saints prepare to face the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons in a crucial NFC South showdown on Sunday. If Carr can’t go, Jameis Winston, 34-46 as a starter in his career, would play in his place.
New Orleans has lost three of its past five games. Atlanta dropped four of five heading into its off week. The Saints are currently a 1-point favorite on the road against the Falcons, according to ESPN BET Louisiana, as they prepare for a December schedule with the Lions (8-1), Panthers (1-9), Giants (3-8), Rams (4-6) and Buccaneers (4-6).
