Saints vs. Falcons Odds
ATLANTA, GA (The Spread) – Two NFC South rivals collide Saturday at 1PM ET when the Atlanta Falcons host the New Orleans Saints on FOX.
The Saints went 11-5 last season and earned a Wild Card spot in the playoffs while the Falcons were just 4-12 a year after making the NFC Championship Game. The Saints have won six of their last seven against the Falcons.
Trends show that the home team has covered the spread in five straight meetings between these two and they have also hit the under in their last five meetings in Atlanta. The Saints have also hit the under in their last six road games.
According to oddsmakers from BetDSI, New Orleans is favored on the road, as the Saints have odds of -3 points against the Falcons on Sunday. The over/under total has been set at 51.5 points (View Matchup). The opening odds for this game had Atlanta favored by 1 point. The spread climbed to Atlanta -1.5 before making the steady fall to New Orleans -3. The over/under total opened at 52 points but quickly shifted at 51.5.
The Falcons have reasonable expectations to get back to their 2012 form. Injuries plagued them last season with Julio Jones missing most of the season and Roddy White playing less than 100 percent all year. That didn’t stop Atlanta from still averaging 265.2 yards per game through the air, but those numbers should be even better this year for Matt Ryan. One key for Atlanta is the offensive line, as it lost starting left tackle Sam Baker for the year. Rookie Jake Matthews will take that spot, but likely go through some growing pains. Defensively, the Falcons struggled, giving up 379.4 yards per game. They also had the 31st-ranked rushing defense in 2013.
The Saints come in with one of the top offenses in the league, averaging just under 400 yards per game last year. Drew Brees was second in the league in passing a year ago and still has plenty of top targets, including Jimmy Graham at tight end. The Saints saw their defense take a big jump up last year thanks to Rob Ryan taking over the unit. New Orleans had the second best pass defense in the NFL last year, allowing just 194.1 yards per game. That could pose problems for Atlanta on Sunday.
In terms of Injuries, Atlanta running back Steve Jackson is probable with a hamstring injury while defensive tackle Corey Peters is questionable with an Achilles injury. New Orleans receiver Kenny Stills is questionable with a quad issue.
The Public Bets for this game are currently backing the Saints, as New Orleans is getting 80% of the wagers with a point spread of -3 against Atlanta.
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