Falcons vs. Lions Total Pick
Will the battle of unbeaten teams between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons at 1PM ET be an offensive showcase or a defensive struggle?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Atlanta is favored on the road in this game, as the Falcons are getting odds of -3 points against the Lions. The over/under total for the game is listed at 50.5 points. The Falcons have won three of the last four against the Lions and the two have hit the under in three straight meetings. Today’s game takes place from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan and will air live on FOX.
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The Falcons are off to a 2-0 start with wins over the Bears and the Packers, while splitting the over/under total. Atlanta hit the under in its first road game, a 23-17 win at Chicago. Atlanta is starting from where it left off in the 2016 season, as the offense is putting up 28.5 points and 389 yards per game while the defense is allowing just 20 points and 370 yards per contest. Matt Ryan has thrown for 573 yards and two touchdowns while Julio Jones has nine catches for 174 yards and Devonta Freeman has 121 rushing yards with three touchdowns. The defense will be without a key piece today, as Vic Beasley suffered a hamstring tear that will have him out for about a month. Beasley had 15.5 sacks in the 2016 season.
The Lions are off to a 2-0 start as well, picking up double-digit wins over the Cardinals and Giants. They are also 1-1 with the over/under total, hitting the over in their lone home game, a 35-23 win over the Cardinals. Detroit has looked strong on defense, allowing just 16.5 points and 307 yards per game. Their run defense is holding opponents to just 53.5 yards per game. The unit has six sacks and five turnovers through two games, though rookie LB Jarrad Davis is out for today’s game due to a concussion he suffered on Monday night. Offensively, the Lions are putting up 29.5 points per game despite averaging just 317 yards per contest. Matthew Stafford has thrown for 414 yards with six touchdowns and one interception.
Both teams will be without a key defensive player as the Falcons won’t have Beasley and the Lions are without Davis. Both should open the door for the opposing offenses to have success. Detroit is susceptible to a good pass rush and Atlanta is without its top pass rusher. That should give Stafford time to throw the ball down field and lead some scoring drives. Davis was showing improvement in his pass defense and flying to the ball on the run. His absence should allow Atlanta to have balance in the run and pass game. I expect this game to feature plenty of points. Atlanta is too good and too fast for Detroit to stop and the Lions have some solid weapons as well.
NFL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: FALCONS/LIONS OVER 50.5