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| TIME (EST) | FAVORITE | TOTAL | PICK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00pm | NO -5.5 (-110) | 43 (-110) | NO -5.5 (-110) NO 1H -3.5 (-105) U43 (-110) |
Game Analysis & Picks
Both teams in this matchup are entering a new era this season. The Falcons traded away the face of their franchise, Matt Ryan, in favor of Marcus Mariota. The Saints are entering the post-Sean Payton era and have promoted long-time defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to man the helm. Although Payton’s leadership should be missed later in the season, I see an easy entry for the Saints 2022-23 season.
Saints QB Jameis Winston started off great in 2021 before going down with a knee injury, but looks ready under center this year. No. 1 WR Michael Thomas is expected to play after missing time with a hamstring injury. Adding in dual-threat Alvin Kamara and rookie WR Chris Olave, the Saints are running and throwing with many options available.
The Falcons have not made any offseason moves to improve their weak defensive performance in 2021 which produced an NFL low 15 sacks on the season. On the contrary, Saints defense racked up 46 sacks last year while blitzing very little (9th least blitzing team in 2021). All things considered I’m going with the Saints covering the 1H spread of -3.5 (-105) plus Saints covering the game spread (-110). For the total, I predict a one-sided game given the strength of the Saints defense and the questionable Falcons offense. The Under 43 (-110) should hit.
