Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2000 · Week 9

Final

Saints

New Orleans

QB Jeff Blake

21·10

Cardinals

Arizona

QB Jake Plummer

Sun Devil Stadium · outdoors · grass · 70°F · wind 9mph

Closing spread

NO -6

Total

41

Model margin

-1.8est.

ARI perspective

Push chance

3.1%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Cardinals
  • Saints

How each play moved the game.

Cardinals winsSaints wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Saintsedge mapCardinals
  • +0.008EPA / play-0.126
  • 42.1%Success rate39.0%
  • +0.089EPA / dropback-0.066
  • -0.104EPA / rush-0.243
  • 8.3%Explosive rate7.4%
  • 42.9%Third-down rate36.7%
  • 56.9%Red-zone TD rate39.7%
  • 1.53Points / drive1.04
  • 2.1%Turnover rate4.0%
  • -0.071EPA / play allowed+0.104

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

NO lead 6–5 since 1999

ARI have won 2 straight. Meetings average 51.4 points. ARI are 5-6 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W1ARI @ NO2013ARI
2022 · W7NO @ ARI3442ARI
2019 · W8ARI @ NO931NO
2016 · W15NO @ ARI4841NO
2015 · W1NO @ ARI1931ARI
2013 · W3ARI @ NO731NO
2010 · W5NO @ ARI2030ARI
2009 · playoffsARI @ NO1445NO

Box score

Individual performances

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jeff Blake16/2616711

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Ricky Williams21542.61
Jeff Blake6162.70
Joe Horn11616.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Ricky Williams910920
Andrew Glover13240
Chad Morton11210
Willie Jackson24190
Joe Horn26100
Lamont Hall1111
Keith Poole0100

Cardinals

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jake Plummer26/4728912

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Michael Pittman20864.30
Thomas Jones6264.30
Jake Plummer11313.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -62.9%4.7%3.1%7.5%7.1%2.7%4.1%

Positive margins favour Cardinals; negative favour Saints.

Half-point at risk

3.06%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

44.1%

Expected total

44.8est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-4.40
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin-1.84