Eagles vs. Falcons Week 2 Prediction
The NFL Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 2 pits the 1-0 Eagles against a Falcons team trying not to fall into an 0-2 hole. Listed as a small home underdog, are the Falcons the play tonight or will the Eagles cover for bettors on the road?
Game Snapshot
287 Philadelphia Eagles (-2) at 288 Atlanta Falcons (+2); O/U 52.5
8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Public Betting Trends
According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Eagles are receiving 56% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.
Philadelphia Eagles Fantasy Spin
NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports Eagles DT Malik Jackson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury. Garafolo reports Jackson will undergo surgery next week. Jackson had to be carted off the field after going down 32 snaps into Sunday’s opener. Jackson was released by the Jaguars on the eve of free agency, and the Eagles pounced. It’s a huge loss for the Eagles’ imposing line, though Timmy Jernigan and Hassan Ridgeway will help pick up the slack. Going on 30, Jackson will be missing his first games since 2010. Although Jackson’s contract was announced as “three years,” it was functionally one year. It’s not a guarantee he’s back in Philadelphia next season.
Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Spin
First-rounder Kaleb McGary has won the Falcons’ starting right tackle job. The No. 31 overall pick was rotating with Ty Sambrailo in Sunday’s opener but did enough to secure the job the Falcons wanted for him all along. The only reason McGary didn’t win the job outright in camp was his recovery from a cardiac ablation procedure. McGary is a plus athlete but a bit undersized. He is also old (24) for a rookie.
NFL Betting Trends
Philadelphia
The Eagles are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games and are 5-1 against the number in their last six games overall.
Atlanta
The Falcons are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven home games and are 2-7 against the number in their last nine games overall.
Prediction
The Falcons aren’t as bad as how they played last Sunday in Minnesota and I don’t expect to see a better overall performance and effort out of Atlanta this weekend at home. That said, it’s still a bad matchup for the Falcons. The Vikings’ front seven dominated Atlanta’s overmatched line last week and the Eagles’ defensive front can be just as overpowering. With Matt Ryan constantly under duress for a second straight week, I see the Falcons falling to 0-2 on the season despite playing better defensively. All of the value has been sucked out of the line, but I won’t hesitate to lay two points with the Eagles tonight.
NFL Week 2 Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles -2