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Falcons vs. Eagles Betting Preview
Atlanta Falcons Betting News, Analysis
The Falcons opened the season with an eight-point loss to a solid Steelers team. In most cases, a one-possession defeat against one of the most well-coached teams in the league would be no reason to reach for the panic button.
But even taking into account how good the T.J. Watt-led Pittsburgh defense is, Cousins and the Falcons’ performance at home was one of the most concerning showings in the league, as this offense was expected to be one of the league’s best.
With Cousins unable to move around in the pocket, the Atlanta offense was completely ineffective, with just 155 passing yards and three turnovers. If Cousins just needed a week to shake off the rust from the torn Achilles he suffered last October, he, RB Bijan Robinson and WR Drake London should make Atlanta potent offensively.
But if the post-Achilles Cousins, who earned a reputation as one of the best play-action passers in the league in Washington and Minnesota, is no longer mobile enough to get under center and run play-action, Atlanta is going to have a ton of difficulty moving the ball.
According to the The Athletic, the Falcons’ 50 offensive snaps against Pitt included just two that were not taken from the shotgun or pistol formation, and they did not attempt a play-action pass. We’re just one week into the season, but the concerns around Cousins’ mobility are hard to overstate.
Atlanta didplay well defensively against Justin Fields and the Steelers. The Falcons held Pittsburgh to 156 yards passing and and just 16 total first downs while doing an impressive job stopping the run. The Steelers gained 137 yards on the ground on 41 carries (3.3 yards per carry), and that included 57 rushing yards by Fields.
For Monday’s game in Philadelphia, the only significant injury news for Atlanta is the absence of starting linebacker Nate Landman.
Philadelphia Eagles Betting News, Analysis
The Eagles are favored by 5.5 points, down from 6.5, after star WR A.J. Brown was ruled out for this game on Sunday due to a hamstring injury he suffered in practice on Friday.
Still, Philadelphia’s offense should be able to move the chains on the Falcons after a solid Week 1 showing against Green Bay. The highlight of this team’s 34-29 win over the Packers was Saquon Barkley’s massive Eagles debut. The former Giant lived up to the offseason hype with 24 carries for 109 yards and two TDs on the ground, plus two more catches on two targets for 23 yards and another score through the air.
Jalen Hurts struggled to find running lanes against Green Bay (with just 33 yards on 13 carries), but had a strong night throwing the ball, though he did commit two turnovers. If nothing else, Hurts’ numbers (20-of-34 passing, 278 yards, 2 TDs, 2 picks) in his first game with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were a lot more reminiscent of his early-season succes in 2023 than his struggles down the stretch last year.
Brown’s absence is (obviously) going to make life more difficult for this offense, especially against a talented Atlanta secondary led by star safeties Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates III. However, DeVonta Smith, recent acquisition Jahan Dotson, tight end Dallas Goedert and Barkley, a talented receiving threat out of the backfield, should be able to put up points on Atlanta, especially if Philly can get Barkley and Hurts going on the ground.
Philadelphia’s defense gave up 29 points to the Packers last week, as Green Bay RB Josh Jacobs and backup Emanuel Wilson were both effective.
The two combined for 130 yards on 20 carries against Philadelphia, and the Eagles will struggle to beat Atlanta — let alone cover the spread — if they don’t do a much better job against Robinson and the Falcons running game.
Falcons vs. Eagles Prediction, Best Bets
Given their talent at the skill positions, the Falcons should be in every game if Cousins looks like the player he was before he tore his Achilles.
But until we see a much more mobile version of him than we did in Atlanta-Pittsburgh, we’re comfortable fading the Falcons. The Eagles only got two sacks against Green Bay, (one on Jordan Love and one on Malik Willis) but at the Linc, DL Jalen Carter and the Philly D-line should be able to generate a ton of pressure on Cousins.
We like Philadelphia to narrowly cover the spread at home in a low-scoring win.
Falcons vs. Eagles Best Bets
- Eagles -5.5 (-105 at FanDuel)
- Under 45.5 (-110 at bet365)
- Falcons Team Total Under 17.5 (+130 at DraftKings)
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