Magical number in Saints history is their magic number Sunday

It is about as even of a matchup as you can imagine.

The oddsmakers have the New Orleans Saints are a 3.5-point favorite to win Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints are the favorite to win the Super Bowl, according to those same oddsmakers.

Let us start with an area that both teams have focused on.

The Saints have run the ball well all season long.

The Rams have gravitated more to the running game as the season has progressed.

C.J. Anderson has given the Rams a big lift.

The loss of Cooper Kupp has hurt the Rams’ passing game.

Both teams have been less productive in the latter stages of the season offensively than they were throughout the first half of the season.

Here is a breakdown of the matchup, position by position:

Quarterback: Advantage Saints. Jared Goff is awfully good. He had one bad game against one bad (as in very good) defense at Chicago. He is accurate and patient, holding on to the ball, letting receivers uncover. He trusts his offensive line. He has not been in this position before.

Drew Brees is accurate, smart, gets the ball out quickly and makes good decisions. He has championship game experience. He is at home, where he has not lost in the playoffs. He feels the sense of urgency with in the latter stages of his career.

Running back: Even. C.J. Anderson has stepped up to give the Rams a battering ram (no pun intended) inside, complimenting Todd Gurley, the most talented runner in the league.

The Saints have a battering ram of their own in Mark Ingram, who is experienced, tough and a good pass protector. Alvin Kamara has five touchdowns in two games against the Rams. He is a special player and a matchup nightmare.

Offensive line: Even. If the Saints were totally healthy, I would give them the edge. Andrus Peat was significantly less than 100 percent against the Eagles and may not be much healthier for this one. All other Saints offensive line starters have been banged up. The Rams have a good, healthy offensive line that bludgeoned the Cowboys a week ago. Whoever performs best may very well win this game.

Wide receivers: Even. Michael Thomas and Kamara make a difference. The return of Ted Ginn, Jr. has helped significantly. If Cooper Kupp was healthy, I would give the edge to the Rams here. Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks are very good but Thomas is elite.

Tight end: Advantage Rams. Ben Watson’s likely absence makes this the case. The Saints are perilously thin behind Josh Hill. Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are solid for Los Angeles.

Defensive line: Advantage Rams. This is the strength of their team, led by Aaron Donald and the Saints are without Sheldon Rankins.

Linebacker: Advantage Saints. Demario Davis has been an upper-echelon player in the league. Alex Anzalone has stepped up and A.J. Klein is much improved over a year ago.

Secondary: Even. This is all about how Aqib Talib performs. If he is the player he was as recently as two years ago in Denver, he will present big problems for Brees and Thomas. He has played in just eight games this year. Talib is a physical corner who will try to maul Thomas in man coverage. How will officials call the game? Marcus Peters gambles and can be beaten. Vonn Bell is an improved player for the Saints. Marshon Lattimore is coming off of his biggest game. Eli Apple played well last week. The Rams have 18 interceptions while the Saints had just 12 in the regular season.

Kicking game: Advantage Saints. Kamara is an outstanding kickoff return man. Thomas Morstead is an elite punter, averaging 46.4 yards per punt. Wil Lutz had an elite season, going 28-of-30 in field goal attempts in the regular season. Taysom Hill is an X-factor. The Rams have an outstanding kicking game as well. Greg Zuerlein converted 27 of 31 field goal attempts while Johnny Hekker averaged 46.3 yards per punt. Both the Saints and Rams will fake punts and field goals. It is close, as is the entire matchup.

Looking back at history, the Saints have scored a specific number of points in the biggest wins they have ever had.

I believe it will take that number and that will be the magic number this time around as well.

On Dec. 30, 2000, the Saints defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-28 when “Hakim dropped the ball, Hakim dropped the ball.” It was a win over the defending Super Bowl champion. It was the first playoff win in the then 34-year history of the franchise.

On Jan. 24, 2010, the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime as Tracy Porter came up with a huge interception of Brett Favre and Garrett Hartley drilled a 40-yard field goal dead center to end it.

On Feb. 7, 2010, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win Super Bowl XLIV as Porter sealed the deal with a 74-yard interception return in the fourth quarter after Drew Brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

It will take at least 30 points for the Saints to win Sunday.

I am going with history in this one. Here is a pick for the Saints to win the game 31-28. Does that sound familiar?