Falcons vs. Eagles Total Prediction
Will Saturday’s NFL Divisional Round Playoff matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles stay under the betting total?
Game Info
Matchup: Falcons (11-6) at Eagles (13-3)
TV: NBC, 3:35 p.m. ET
Line: Falcons -3
ODDS: According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the over/under currently sits at 41 points after hitting the board at 44.5. The Falcons, meanwhile, are 3-point road favorites to beat the Eagles, who are the first No. 1 seed to be a home underdog against a No. 6 seed in the Divisional Round.
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PUBLIC BETTING: As of this writing, the Falcons are receiving 65% of the betting tickets and 78% of the money is also on Atlanta to cover the spread.
INJURY REPORT: Andy Levitre (triceps), Jack Crawford (biceps), Jordan Tripp (concussion) and Devin Fuller (knee) are all out for the year for Atlanta. Carson Wentz (knee) is done for the season for Philadelphia, as are Caleb Strugis (quad), Jason Peters (knee), Jordan Hicks (Achilles) and Darren Sproles (knee). Brandon Graham (ankle) is probable.
OUR PREDICTION: In their last six games, the Falcons’ defense has given up only 16.3 points per game. That’s great, but who have they played? Actually, the opponents have been outstanding. Those opponents include the Rams, who owned the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL this year, the Panthers, the Vikings, the Saints (twice) and the Buccaneers. Five of those games were against playoff teams.
Atlanta’s defense has speed at all three levels. Deion Jones is a rising star at middle linebacker, while Vic Beasley, Takk McKinnley and Garrett Jarrett give the Falcons a trio of legitimate pass-rushers. The secondary is also underrated thanks to three solid corners in Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford and Brian Poole (who was outstanding from a tackling standpoint last week in the win over the Rams), as well as a thumper in Keanu Neal at strong safety.
That said, the Falcons’ offense has struggled inside the red zone recently, settling for a slew of field goals in opponent territory. That doesn’t bode well for the Eagles, who own the best and deepest defensive lines in the league. Matt Ryan’s worst game during his MVP campaign last year was a Week 10 matchup against the Eagles.
Oh, and Nick Foles is starting for Philly. ‘Nuff said. Give me the under.
NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND OVER/UNDER PREDICTION: FALCONS/EAGLES UNDER 41