Betting Line
Point Spread: Eagles -1
Total Line: 49.5
The Falcons should be pressuring Eagles QB M. Vick all game.
Philadelphia easily handled an overmatched St. Louis team 31-13 last week. Atlanta was downright ugly in their 30-12 blowout loss at Chicago last Sunday.
The Eagles are a pass-first team but RB LeSean McCoy had a big day last week (15-122-1) and has been dynamite in domes recently. The Falcons will have to maintain lane integrity and do a much better job of tackling than they did last week. QB Michael Vick completed less than half of his passes but did run for 98 yards. He was sacked three times and hit 11 times more and Atlanta does have a good pass rush. The Eagles O-line is very poor at pass protection and look for the Falcons to take advantage of that fact. WR DeSean Jackson is a big weapon and the Falcons must contain him if they are to stay in this contest.
Atlanta’s offense failed to score a TD last week but they are back in the Georgia Dome now. They are a different team at home offensively and QB Matt Ryan is 20-2 as a starter at home. Look for RB Michael Turner to set the tone early with power runs at the soft underbelly of the Eagles front seven. Philly has a lot of star CBs and the best way to deal with them is by making plays off play action. TE Tony Gonzalez wasn’t utilized in the red zone last week but that is another thing that should change this Sunday. Ryan has two big threats at WR in Roddy White and Julio Jones and a strong run game will afford them more one-on-one matchups.
ATS Pick
Atlanta looked bad last week but we expect them to bounce back at home where they are much more comfortable. This is Vick’s return to Atlanta and he’ll be pumped but we like the Falcons front seven to handle the weak Philly O-line. They must make Vick a pocket passer, something he still struggles with. Expect Turner to be a major factor in a Falcons home cover.
Take the Falcons +1
