NFC South Betting Preview and Division Odds, Plus MLB Best Bets - Ride the Line Ep #21

A new Friday episode of Ride the Line with Tanner Kern and Grant Mitchell is out right now!

NFC South Betting Preview: The Favorites

The show’s Friday tradition of previewing the NFL division-by-division continued with an examination of the NFC South, which failed to produce a team with a winning record in 2022.

The New Orleans Saints top the oddsmakers’ list with an over/under of 9.5 wins. Right away, Grant pointed out that in order for them to cash the over, they have to win double-digit games. That’s no small task for a team that has been underwhelming in recent years. 

Derek Carr is entering his first year in the Bayou and will hope to lead the team back to prominence, but it is the defense that is the unsung hero. They ranked fifth in yards and ninth in points allowed despite being forced onto the field for prolonged periods because of the offense’s ineptitude.

Second in the list of odds is the Atlanta Falcons. Although they were only 7-10 and had a bottom 10 record, they still managed to make money for bettors as the only team in that group that had a winning record against the spread. 

Tanner noted that if they fixed their quarterback situation, he would take them to win the division—unfortunately, that’s a huge sticking point, since Desmond Ridder is totally unproven and does not have as great of a pedigree as other players at the position. That aside, the Falcons have lots of weapons on offense and gave their defense a facelift.

NFC South Betting Preview: The Underdogs

The Carolina Panthers and first-overall pick Bryce Young are third in odds to win the NFC South. Grant believes in the Alabama product, while Tanner has his reservations about buying into a 5-foot-10 rookie QB, though he is aware that players such as Miles Sanders and Adam Thielen are nice complementary pieces. 

While the offense is under the microscope, Grant is looking closely at Brian Burns for a potential Defensive Player of the Year season. Burns has gotten better during each of his four years in the league and is eighth in odds to win the DPOY award, and his ability to play at that level could help Carolina make a push for the playoffs.

The biggest split of the show came when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the center of discussion. Tanner is backing Baker Mayfield to revitalize his career with what he considers a talent roster, but Grant is not as high on him and pointed out key losses in projecting a disappointing season for the recent world champs.

The co-hosts even went game-by-game to figure out exactly what they thought of the Bucs’ schedule. Although there was a mutual agreement that they have an easy schedule, Tanner believes they will cash the over, while Grant is on the under.

MLB Betting Picks

Tanner is on fire with his Ride the Line MLB picks and is taking the Philadelphia Phillies with Taijuan Walker to snag a win over the New York Mets. 

Grant missed Wednesday’s show but was 2-1 with his Monday picks and is looking at the Tampa Bay Rays to exact revenge against the Kansas City Royals at home.