Saints vs Packers Odds NFL Week 1 Picks: It's here. Finally. The 2011 NFL season will officially get underway on Thursday night at Lambeau Field when the defending champion Packers host the New Orleans Saints. NFL Week 1 Picks have Green Bay listed as a -4 against the spread home favorite while the latest Saints vs Packers odds are showing a 47 point game total. Thursday's season opener is scheduled for an 8:30pm ET kickoff on NBC.
Green Bay gets a huge test 
right out of the box this season, facing a Saints team that won 11 games last year, including six on the road. New Orleans has also been hard on the Packers in recent seasons, posting a 3-1 record opposite the defending Super Bowl champs since 2002.
The last meeting between these two squads, a November 2008 tussle at the Superdome, was particularly lopsided with Sean Payton's troops pounding the Packers 51-29. Aaron Rodgers had, perhaps, his worst game as a professional as he completed just 23-of-41 passes for 248 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in the embarrassing setback.
Drew Brees, conversely, was nearly flawless, connecting on 20-of-26 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns (two of which went for 70 yards). New Orleans finished the game with 21 first downs and 416 total yards.
That Green Bay team, which finished the season 6-10, is not the one taking the field on Thursday night, though. The current Packers have won their last five home games by an average of 19 points per contest, and they ride a six game win streak into the opener. And, despite all the hype surrounding this week's kickoff special, the Packers, according to Rodgers, are focused on one thing.
"It's a similar feel to a big game, a playoff game…I don't want to say Super Bowl," Rodgers said. "There's a big atmosphere outside the stadium, but to us the only thing that matters is taking care of business on the field."
Brees and company will attempt to erase the memory of their most recent road outing, a shocking 41-36 loss to the 7-9 Seahawks in last year's Wild Card round, when they square off against the Packers at Lambeau. New Orleans' defense ruined a 474 yard day from Brees and the offense as they yielded 415 yards, including 150 on the ground, to a Seattle team that averaged a mere 297.8 yards per game in the regular season.
Suffice it to say that Rodgers and his plethora of offensive weapons represents a bigger threat than last season's Seahawks. New Orleans figures to gets some points in this game, but slowing Green Bay down…it's not going to happen. Look for a Packers cover in this one.
Saints vs Packers Odds NFL Week 1 Picks: Provided by JustBet.cx
New Orleans Saints +4 (-110), Over 47 Points (-110), +180 (Moneyline)
Green Bay Packers -4 (-110), Under 47 Points (-110), -220 (Moneyline)
