The Atlanta Falcons used a high-powered offense to make it to the Super Bowl a season ago. They relied on their defense to lead the way in the wild card round this year. The Falcons shut down the Rams’ high-powered offense on Saturday to advance to the NFC Divisional Round, where they will travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles looked like the best team in the NFL for a long stretch but lost star quarterback Carson Wentz to an ACL tear late in the year. The offense has flatlined under Nick Foles, and subsequently Philadelphia is actually the home underdog in this one. It is the first time in NFL history under this playoff format that the top seed is the underdog in its first game.
The Falcons are two wins away from a return trip to the Super Bowl and will be favored to win this one as they have a huge edge at quarterback.
This NFC Divisional Round contest will go down Saturday, January 13, 2018, at 4:35 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field on NBC.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Atlanta Falcons -3
Philadelphia Eagles +3
Over/Under 41.5
Odds Analysis
The Falcons are the road favorites and are the more popular pick early on, with more than 59 percent of the action on them to cover this spread. The scoring total is much lower than it would have been with a healthy Wentz, but the Eagles’ offensive issues combined with solid defenses on both sides results in a low total.
The bettors believe it isn’t low enough as more than 61 percent of the action is taking the “under.”
Matchup to Watch
Nick Foles vs. the Falcons defense — The Eagles went 13-3 during the regular season and claimed the top seed in the NFC, but will be underdogs because of this matchup. Foles had only one good game after taking over for Wentz in the final three weeks of the regular season.
He played well in a win over the Giants, throwing for 237 yards with a sparkling four touchdowns. But Foles was just 19-of-38 for 163 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a close win over the Giants, and then was an awful 4-of-11 for 39 yards and an interception in a 6-0 loss to the Cowboys in the regular season finale. Foles was pulled early because the game didn’t mean anything to Philadelphia, but it’s still a scary sight to play so badly in the lead-up to the playoffs.
The Falcons, meanwhile, shut down the Rams’ offense in a 27-13 wild card win on the road. Los Angeles led the NFL in points per game during the regular season but quarterback Jared Goff and star running back Todd Gurley were both held in check.
If Atlanta’s defense can play this well again, the team should have no trouble winning this game.
Key Stat
1. That’s the number of red zone touchdowns Julio Jones grabbed last week, which was only two fewer than he had in the entire regular seasons. It’s weird that the Falcons have been unable to get their superstar receiver more involved near the goal-line, and are hoping last week’s score is a sign of things to come.
The Eagles will undoubtedly keep an eye on him everywhere on the field. The Falcons’ offense isn’t humming along as well as it did a season ago, but Jones is still the most dangerous player and must be contained.
Free ATS Pick
The oddsmakers certainly have the right idea in naming Atlanta the favorite in this one. The Eagles’ crowd will undoubtedly be fired up and that should be a big help for Philadelphia, but the offensive issues are too big to ignore.
Take the Falcons to not only win this road game but to cover the spread as well to advance to the NFC Championship game. Take the “over” as the Falcons should be able to put up enough points for it to hit.
NFL Odds: Falcons 24, Eagles 20
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
