NFL Odds & Expert Pick for Week 7 SNF: Falcons vs. Patriots.

NFL Odds & Expert Pick for Week 7 SNF: Falcons vs. Patriots

Written by on October 20, 2017

This week’s Sunday night NFL affair features the Atlanta Falcons heading to New England to take on the Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LI. The once again NFL Odds favorite Patriots have followed up a home loss to Carolina with wins at Tampa Bay and New York but the win over the Buccaneers came thanks to several missed field goals by kicker Nick Folk, and the win over the Jets came in part to a ridiculous booth review that took a touchdown away from New York. Can the Falcons get revenge for that Super Bowl debacle? They look shaky themselves, having just let a 17-0 halftime lead slip away against the Miami Dolphins at home, falling 20-17. Check the latest NFL Lines and take advantage of this expert betting perspective.

NFL Odds & Expert Pick for Week 7 SNF: Falcons (3-2) vs. Patriots (4-2)

  • When: Sunday, October 22, 2017, 8:25pm ET
  • Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
  • TV: NBC
  • Radio: Westwood One
  • Live Stream: NFL Live
  • NFL Odds: New England (-3.5), O/U 54.5

Weather Forecast

  • Partly Cloudy: 16°C/60°F
  • Humidity: 76%
  • Precipitation: 4%
  • Cloud Cover: 49%
  • Wind: 5 mph SSW
  • Stadium Type: Open

Series History

  • Total Meetings: 14
  • First Meeting: September 24, 1972. Falcons 20 – Patriots 21
  • Last Meeting: February 5, 2017. Patriots 34 – Falcons 28
  • All-Time Series: Patriots lead 8-6-0
  • Largest Margin of Victory: Falcons by 34 points (1992)
  • Longest Win Streak: Patriots winning 5
  • Current Win Streak: Patriots winning 5
Why should you bet on the Falcons NFL Odds? The Patriots are last in the NFL against the pass, and the Atlanta Falcons have tremendous talent in the passing game, with Matt Bryant looking down the field at Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu, who should be back on the field after missing last week with injury issues. The Falcons show a lot of signs of Super Bowl hangover, including their fortunate win over Chicago (in which the Bears dropped a scoring pass in the waning seconds) and their even luckier win over the LIons (in which a Detroit touchdown on the last play of the game was overturned). The Falcons rely heavily on the pass, which should help them out. Their defense, though, shows no signs of making plays in clutch situations so that they can escape stadiums with wins. Tom Brady could torch the Atlanta secondary if they are not careful, but I also see the Falcons coming into this game and putting a lot of points on the board. Given the shaky state of both defenses, this could definitely turn into a game where you take the over. But if you like the Falcons, you see them coming to New England with a lot more certitude than they’ve shown all season.

Team Statistics

Defense
  • Average Score Against: 21.80
  • Total Yards: 312.4
  • Rush Yards: 102.00
  • Passing Yards: 210.40
Offense
  • Average Score For: 24.20
  • Total Yards: 378.8
  • Rush Yards: 121.00
  • Passing Yards: 257.80
Why should you put your money on the Patriots NFL Odds? As we said earlier, the 4-2 Patriots could very easily be 2-4. They give up more than 440 yards per game, so if Matt Ryan and Julio Jones can get things clicking, this could turn into a track meet from just about the get-go. Jameis Winston and Josh McCown have looked like All-Pro quarterbacks against the Patriots in the last two games, and it has been primarily the wizardry of Tom Brady (along with a lot of luck) that has kept the Patriots competitive. Once again, the Patriots are the NFL Odds favorite. That New England offense is still clicking. Brady has thrown 13 touchdown passes against just a pair of interceptions, with a completion rate of 65 percent. Rob Gronkowski is healthy and productive, and he is second on the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns — behind Chris Hogan, who is having a real breakout season at wideout. With Danny Amendola and James White also hauling in a lot of passes, the team is not missing Julian Edelman as much as they thought they would. If you like New England, then you think Brady and the New England offense have at least one more scoring drive up their sleeves than the Falcons do.

Team Statistics

Defense
  • Average Score Against: 26.50
  • Total Yards: 440.66
  • Rush Yards: 115.83
  • Passing Yards: 324.83
Offense
  • Average Score For: 28.67
  • Total Yards: 412.5
  • Rush Yards: 102.67
  • Passing Yards: 309.83

Latest NFL Betting Trends for Week 7

  • Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
  • Atlanta is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 19 of Atlanta’s last 24 games
  • New England is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
  • New England is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 8 of New England’s last 10 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction  While I think the Falcons will come in with a lot of energy, I’m not convinced that they’re in a mental position to win a big game like this. As generous as the New England defense has tended to be this year, Brady has found ways to lead his teams to victory four times. I see the Falcons crumbling late in this one, and the Patriots emerging with a close win. Score: Atlanta Falcons 34 – New England Patriots 38