Atlanta Falcons (-4.5) at Seattle Seahawks, Total 38.5 |
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Atlanta will already be playing its third road game of the season and has dropped the first two contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16-13) and Chicago Bears (30-12). The Falcons did manage to pick up a 34-18 win in last year’s meeting with Seattle as 5.5-point road favorites.
“We have not protected our quarterback like we have in the past and that’s something that we have to look at schematically first,” commented Falcons head coach Mike Smith. The offensive line has surrendered five sacks against Chicago and four against Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
Smith has tallied a 13-13 record on the road in his three-plus seasons on the sidelines, but will bring in a perfect 6-0 mark against NFC West divisional foes away from the Georgia Dome on Sunday.
Perhaps the team should go back to featuring running back Michael Turner, as it gained 248 yards combined on the ground the first two weeks, only to see the big back gain 20 yards on 11 carries in a 16-13 loss in Tampa Bay in Week 3.
NFL bettors will find that the Falcons are still 23-13 ATS in their last 36 opportunities, while the ‘over’ is 19-16 over that span.
Seattle came away with its first win of the 2011 season last week in capturing a 13-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals as 3.5-point home underdogs, but it was out-gained by 63 yards in the contest.
The Seahawks offense has been abysmal, ranking 31st in the league, just a single yard ahead of the San Francisco 49ers, a team that handed them a 33-17 loss as six-point road underdogs in the season opener.
Quarterback protection has been a problem in the opening weeks, as quarterback Tavaris Jackson has been sacked 14 times, which is tied for the most in the league. If given the chance to stand in the pocket, he will likely target Sidney Rice, a former teammate of his in Minnesota.
The duo connected eight times for 109 yards in last week’s game, and will now be facing a defensive unit that is 22nd in the league versus the pass.
Before making your NFL picks this week, bettors should know that the Seahawks are 5-18 ATS following a straight-up win, while the ‘over’ has cashed in 11 of their last 14 games overall.
