Coming into 2021, Washington Football Team fans were optimistic — they had a serviceable quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, and their defense was viewed as elite by just about all NFL observers. However, Fitzpatrick went down in the opener with a hip injury, and Taylor Heinicke had to come on in relief. Heinicke is a terrific backup, but he has not yet shown that he can carry a team — and the defense has been atrocious, yielding 29 points to an iffy Giants offense and getting blown out by Buffalo, giving up 43. Next up is a trip to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, who barely escaped New York with a 17-14 win over those same Giants.
Washington is a road favorite here, so let’s take a minute to dissect this matchup from a NFL betting perspective.
NFL Preview: Washington Football Team at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, October 3)
When: Sunday, October 3, 2021, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: FOX
Radio: WMAL 105.9 FM Washington / WZGC 92.9 FM Atlanta
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Washington -1.5 / O/U 47.5
Why should you bet on Washington?
Washington hopes to ride a strong running game and an elite defense this year, and the early setbacks have not changed that emphasis. Atlanta’s offensive line has not done well opening holes for the running game or protecting Matt Ryan, which is why he has to dump off checkdown after checkdown instead of waiting in the pocket to find receivers down the field. If Washington can get after Ryan, they should be able to limit the Falcons’ offensive time of possession. The Giants tried this approach on Sunday, and it worked — until the last two drives of the game, when Atlanta posted two scores and swiped the late win.
The Falcons bring in a defense that is one of the worst in the NFL, which should give Heinicke more opportunities to throw the ball than he has had the past couple of weeks. The Football Team only had 13 first downs and coughed the ball up three times against Buffalo, but better ball security against Atlanta should lead to more sustained Washington drives — and more points on the board.
Why should you put your money on the Falcons?
Atlanta should come out of their win in New York with a greater sense of confidence, getting their first win under new head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons only picked up 296 yards against a subpar Giants defense, but Matt Ryan had two touchdown passes and led a game-winning drive for the 39th time in his career. The defense was also improved, as the Falcons only permitted 14 points, a season low, and they had a takeaway.
Even with Julio Jones playing in Tennessee now, Ryan has Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts as targets down the field, so the Falcons should be able to move the ball. This has been an odd team to wager on since their Super Bowl collapse against the New England Patriots, but Washington has failed to cover the spread in three straight to start the season. Both of these teams have plenty of flaws, but having Washington as a road favorite here with a backup quarterback and an offense that struggled so badly last week seems out of balance.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
From a sports betting perspective, this game seems like a real mess — and if you take the right side of this, you can benefit from this. The best pick, from my perspective, is the “under” — as both teams have struggled on offense. On paper, Atlanta’s offense is head and shoulders above what Washington brings in, but paper only gets you so far. I’m going to predict a final score of Atlanta 20, Washington 16, but I feel much better about the “under” pick than taking either side of this outcome.
NFL Betting Odds
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