Redskins vs. Saints: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The New Orleans Saints will be looking to get off to a good start without head coach Sean Payton on Sunday when they welcome the Washington Redskins to the Superdome to kick off the 2012 season.

The Saints are coming off of a 2011 season that saw them post a 13-3 record before losing in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers. The loss would prelude a tumultuous offseason, as the Saints would face unprecedented penalties for an alleged bounty system that rewarded defensive players for injuring offensive players.

Those penalties will be felt tangibly for the first time in regular-season action as the Saints will not only be without Payton, but also star linebacker Jonathan Vilma, defensive end Will Smith and assistant coach Joe Vitt.

Betting Info

Line: Saints -7.5 (according to Bovada.lv)

Over/Under: 50 (according to Bovada.lv)

What's At Stake

Obviously, both teams want to get off to a good start. The first week of the season is the only week where every team feels like they are a contender, and no one wants to ruin that by losing in Week 1.

Beyond that, both teams need a win to show their fanbases they are moving in the right direction.

The Saints have been successful recently, but a win here would show that they are ready to contend without Payton. The Saints offense was one of the league's most potent units in all of the league last season, and they will look to show that they can keep things humming with Drew Brees at the helm.

For the Redskins, this game will kick off a new era. The offense should have a much different look as highly hyped rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III will take over.

Griffin III is expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come, so a win over the Saints in his first career start would be an excellent beginning to his tenure and give Redskins fans high hopes for this season.

Injury Report (via CBSSports.com)

New Orleans: Adrian Arrington, WR (knee) questionable, Marques Colston, WR (foot) questionable, Jabari Greer, CB (groin) questionable, David Hawthorne, LB (knee) probable, Curtis Lofton, LB (ankle) probable.

Washington: Chris Baker, NT (ankle) probable, Brandon Meriweather, S (knee) questionable, Brian Orakpo, LB (chest) probable, Chris Wilson, LB (abdomen) probable.

Prediction: Saints 28, Redskins 24

With so many questions surrounding both teams, this is a risky game to bet on, but the Redskins look poised to at least keep it close.

The Saints have the potential to have one of the best offenses in the league again with Drew Brees orchestrating the offense and weapons like Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram still around.

The Redskins, though, were able to keep most games close last season and shouldn't be overlooked.

On offense, the Redskins should be much better, as they go three deep at the running back position and feature two new wide receivers to help out Santana Moss.

Robert Griffin III may just be a rookie, but he has the raw skills to help out right away and should be a marked improvement from the Rex Grossman and John Beck tandem from last season.