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Atlanta at Miami NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds & Expert Preview
When: Thursday, August 10, 2017, 7:00 PM ET Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami TV: Local Affiliates Only Radio: 92.9 FM The Game (Atlanta) / WQAM 560 AM (Miami) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Preseason Odds: Pick ‘em, O/U 36.5Tomorrow, returns. You ready, ATL? pic.twitter.com/eGbe6yZNaA
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 9, 2017
Why should you bet on the Falcons?
Few teams can score at the pace of the Atlanta Falcons — at least when Kyle Shanahan was running the offense. Now Shanahan is at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers, and Steve Sarkisian comes to town to take over the Falcons’ offense. That’s a question mark all on its own, as Sarkisian’s alcohol problems led to his bizarre departure from USC, and then he just stayed at Alabama for a single season. It will be interesting to see what the new system will be like — but the Falcons have the personnel to score using a wide variety of systems.What About Atlanta’s Defense?
The big question for the Falcons comes on defense. They ranked #28 against the pass and #25 in overall defense a year ago. Cornerback Jalen Collins, who started for the Falcons down the stretch, enters the year on a 10-game suspension thanks to a PED finding. Atlanta brings in Dontari Poe in the middle of their D-line, and Takk McKinley, drafted out of UCLA, should be an edge-rushing complement to Vic Beasley on the other side. But how much will they play against Miami, and how much impact will they have?Why should you put your money on the Dolphins?
The Dolphins raised a lot of eyebrows when they inked Cutler to that deal, especially with Colin Kaepernick still available, but the truth is that when Dolphins coach Adam Gase was Cutler’s offensive coordinator, Cutler played some of his best football. The hope is that Cutler, along with Matt Moore as his backup, can hold the fort on offense until Ryan Tannehill returns to take the offense back over. Because Cutler is new (even though he knows Gase’s system), I expect the Dolphins to give Cutler more time than they would typically give a starter in the first preseason game. This should mean that the Dolphins can score more, at least in the first half, than what one might expect in an opener.
How Well Was Miami’s Defense Last Year?
On the defensive side of the ball, the Dolphins were significantly flawed much of last year as well, coming in #29 overall as a unit. Rakwon McMillan and Charles Harris come in as rookies to bolster the linebacking corps. While the offensive line has lost left guard Ted Larsen for the short term with a biceps injury, new tight end Julius Thomas comes to town as a new contributor who also played well under Gase when the two were in Denver. That mix of players should get some significant time, while the Falcons look at players further down the depth chart.Atlanta vs Miami Game History
- Total Meetings: 12
- First Meeting: November 3oth, 1970. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Atlanta, Georgia.
- Last Meeting: September 22nd, 2013. Sun Life Stadium. Miami Gardens, Florida.
- All-Time Series: Miami 8-4-0
- Largest Margin of Victory: Miami 42-7 (1974)
- Longest Win Streak: Miami 4 (1970-1983)
- Current Win Streak: Miami 1 (2013)
NFL Preseason Betting Trends
- Falcons are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.
- Falcons are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games.
- Dolphins are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 home games.
