Falcons vs. Chiefs Week 1 Odds
KANSAS CITY, MO (The Spread) – Non-conference rivals will square off at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday when the Chiefs host the Falcons at 1:00PM ET.
ATLANTA: The Falcons hope that the moves they made this offseason will be the difference in whether or not they win a playoff game this season. They hired two new coordinators in Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan, as well as a new offensive line coach in Pat Hill. They also traded for former Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel in efforts to slow down the explosive passing attacks in the NFC. The offense should be more dangerous thanks to Koetter’s up-tempo attack, which features Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. If the defense is improved and Ryan is allowed to be more of a gunslinger, the Falcons will challenge for another postseason berth. (And who knows, maybe they’ll even win a playoff game as well.)
KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs have arguably the most talented roster in the AFC West and perhaps the deepest depth as well. They have a solid offensive core in Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Dwayne Bowe and Jon Baldwin, as well as a defense that was much improved under coach Romeo Crennel last season. The question is whether or not quarterback Matt Cassel can raise the level of his play. If he can’t, the talented Chiefs will fall short once again in the AFC West.
ODDS: The Falcons opened as a 1-point favorite but the line has since climbed to 3 as 74% of NFL public bettors currently favor Atlanta. The total, meanwhile, is sitting at 41.5.
TRENDS: The Falcons are 10-4 against the spread in their last 14 Week 1 games and the over is 4-1 in their last five contests in September. The under is 12-2 in the Chiefs last 14 home games, however.
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