Falcons at Steelers Preseason NFL Lines (Sunday, August 20)

The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Atlanta Falcons to town for their home preseason opener on Saturday afternoon. The Steelers walloped the Giants in Gotham last Friday, 20-12, while the Atlanta Falcons fell on the road to the Miami Dolphins, 23-20.

It was the reserves who saved the day for Miami, as the Dolphins put up 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win (in an eerie playback of Super Bowl LI). As the starters emerge onto the field for both teams, we will get a truer look at both teams’ best foot forward. Make sure to check out our preview and preseason NFL odds and lines before finalizing your picks for this matchup.

NFL Preseason: Atlanta at Pittsburgh (Sunday, August 20)

When: Sunday, August 20, 2017, 4:00 PM ET
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
TV: NFL Network
Radio: 92.9 FM The Game Atlanta / WDVE 102.5 FM Pittsburgh
Live Stream: NFL Live
NFL Odds: Atlanta -2.5, O/U 39.5

Why should you bet on the Falcons?

Three quarterbacks not named Matt Ryan took the field for the Falcons on their opener, combining to go 20 for 30 for 160 yards and a score. Matt Simms played most of the way for the Falcons, and the likely backup to Ryan will most probably get the lion’s share of the snaps once again.

In the backfield, the Falcons did not impress, as their leading rusher, Terron Ward, only picked up 48 yards. Expect the Falcons to execute more effectively on offense against the Steelers.

The Atlanta defense also came out in a bit of a malaise. They only hit the Miami quarterbacks one time, and they didn’t have a sack. They permitted a 99-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to give up the lead for the final time.

Dolphins’ quarterbacks combined for three scores and 258 yards overall (including that bomb). If you like the Falcons, you see them putting things together on both sides of the ball much more effectively than they did down on South Beach.

 

Why should you put your money on the Steelers?

T.J. Watt and Joshua Dobbs were the best players on the night for Pittsburgh as Dobbs went 8 for 15 for 100 yards under center and scampered for a 16-yard carry. He did throw a couple of hideous interceptions, but his touchdown pass to Cobi Hamilton put the Steelers ahead for good.

That was sort of thing of beauty that the defense could not touch. Watt, playing on the other side of the ball, picked up a pair of sacks on the same drive and hit the Giants’ quarterbacks on three other occasions.

Hamilton picked up a total of 72 yards on two receptions on the night. Terrell Watson was impressive at tailback, scoring a touchdown and tallying 44 yards on 10 carries. Given that the Steelers did so well without Ben Roethlisberger or Le’Veon Bell finding the field at all, Pittsburgh fans have a lot to look forward to.

If you like the Steelers in this one, you think that the Falcons will show up in a continued Super Bowl hangover and continue to show a lack of energy on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Steelers continue to look for ways to improve and challenge the Patriots for AFC dominance down the road.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction I’m not sure what to expect out of Atlanta this season. That was a gut-punch of a Super Bowl loss, and it didn’t look like the Falcons were playing with any confidence after halftime in their preseason opener as well. Head coach Dan Quinn has a big motivational job ahead of him if he wants the Falcons to contend in 2017. For now, I see Pittsburgh pulling off the upset and winning at home, 27-23. That will send Atlanta to an 0-2 preseason start and making the monkey on Quinn’s back even bigger.