Through five weeks, the Atlanta Falcons have posted a 2-3 record, but the largest final margin in any game so far has been six points. In Week 1, they gave up a huge comeback to the Saints, but since then, they’ve been the ones mounting the rallies. They came back against the Rams and came up just short, but comebacks led to wins in Seattle and at home against Cleveland. Last week, the Falcons trailed Tampa Bay, 21-0, at the start of the fourth quarter, but they roared back to make it 21-15. The Buccaneers had the ball near midfield, and the Falcons registered a sack, but a phantom roughing the passer penalty handed the ball back to Tom Brady, and the Buccaneers ran the clock out. Next up is a visit from the San Francisco 49ers, who have won two in a row, beating the Rams by 15 and routing the Panthers by 22, ending Matt Rhule’s head coaching tenure in Carolina. Let’s take a look at this meeting between two inconsistent but exciting teams as you plan out your sports betting for this Sunday’s action.
NFL Preview: San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons
(Sunday, October 16)
When: Sunday, October 16, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: FOX
Radio: KNBR 680 AM San Francisco / WZGC 92.9 FM Atlanta
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: San Francisco -5 / O/U 44.5 // San Francisco -240 / Atlanta +196
Why should you bet on the 49ers?
San Francisco could be 4-1, but their Week 1 loss was literally a freak of nature, as a downpour in Chicago turned the turf of Soldier Field into a literal slip’n’slide. That game was the only one Trey Lance would play all four quarters, as he went down with a fractured ankle in Week 2. In Week 3, Jimmy Garoppolo struggled in an 11-10 loss, but since then, he has had the offense cooking. On Sunday, he threw for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Jeffrey Wilson carried the ball 17 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
San Francisco has covered in eight of their last nine games against NFC opponents, and they have done well in streaks, covering in five of their last six games coming after a win against the spread. Not many teams have the luxury of a quarterback that took a team to the NFC Championship the year before as a backup, but that’s where the 49ers are this season, and Jimmy G looks to earn a plum job somewhere else next year, having rehabbed successfully from shoulder surgery and shown that he can lead an offense.
Why should you put your money on the Falcons?
Marcus Mariota doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, but the numbers he does put up tend to count. Against Tampa Bay, he only threw for 147 yards and a touchdown, but he also led the team with 61 yards on the ground (although Tyler Allgeier did have a big fourth quarter). It’s a shame that the Falcons couldn’t have gotten things up and running on offense a bit sooner, as that 21-point hole proved a bit too large for them to overcome.
The Falcons have covered in four straight games against NFC competition, and they have covered in five straight games overall. Coming after a win against the spread, they have covered in five straight as well. The offense needs more consistency as the team awaits Desmond Ridder’s preparation to take over the starting job. If you like the Falcons, you see their defense doing a better job to slow down the 49ers than the Rams and the Panthers could.
Final Score and Prediction
I don’t like to spend heavily on West Coast teams playing in the early time slot in the Eastern time zone, simply because of the jet lag. However, they won big in that time zone last week, and while the Falcons are doing better things on both sides of the ball than Carolina is, the 49ers have more impressive results the last two weeks. I predict a final score of San Francisco 27, Atlanta 20.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
