New Orleans at Atlanta Week 14 NFL Lines & Expert Pick

New Orleans at Atlanta Week 14 NFL Lines & Expert Pick

Written by on December 5, 2017

The New Orleans Saints just came off a big 31-21 win over Carolina last week and now sit at 9-3, in charge of matters in the NFC South. They look for their tenth win in eleven games as they head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Atlanta sits at 7-5 after taking a 14-9 loss at home against Minnesota last week and need each win they can get even to stay in the wild card conversation. Drew Brees is leading the Saints to a real revival at the age of 38, and this may be the best shot he will get at a second Super Bowl ring. Can the Falcons cool down the Saints, or will New Orleans keep the heat on Minnesota and Philadelphia in the race for a first-round bye in the playoffs? Check out our NFL lines preview of this colossal division showdown.

New Orleans at Atlanta Week 14 NFL Lines & Expert Pick

When: Thursday, December 7, 2017, 8:30pm ET Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta TV: NBC Radio: WWL 870 AM (New Orleans) / 92.9 FM (Atlanta) Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Lines: Atlanta (-1), O/U 53.5

Weather Forecast

  • Overcast: 6°C/43°F
  • Humidity: 55%
  • Precipitation: 4%
  • Wind: 4 mph WNW
  • Cloud Cover: 98%
  • Type of Stadium: Retractable

Why should you bet on the Saints?

Drew Brees is looking ten years younger than his biological age competling 71.5 percent of his passes on the season, throwing 17 touchdown passes against just five picks. The real story has been the emergence of Alvin Kamara, who has contributed with 59 receptions, most of them out of the backfield, and Mark Ingram has taken over the tailback position since the team traded Adrian Peterson to Arizona. Ingram has picked up 922 yards on the season, scoring nine touchdowns. The receiving corps features Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Thomas, who have combined for six touchdowns and 1,543 yards. The Saints’ defense is the reason why they are contending this season. The team has played well on offense in seasons past but has simply given up too many points on defense to allow the offense to stay competitive. Cameron Jordan leads New Orleans with 10 sacks, and Kenny Vaccaro is tops on the roster with three interceptions. If their pass rush can get to Matt Ryan, they could force an early turnover or two and turn the game in their direction.

Why should you put your money on the Falcons?

Much like they did against the Cowboys four weeks ago, the Atlanta Falcons find themselves with their backs against the wall. They need wins to avoid the embarrassment of going from playing in a Super Bowl one season to missing the postseason the next. At home the Falcons have only won two of their last five games. However, when the Falcons’ offense is clicking, it is still one of the hardest to stop. Matt Ryan has completed just over two-thirds of his passes this season, accounting for 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His receiving duo of Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu may be the best in the NFC South. Are the Falcons a safe bet in Week 14? On defense, the Falcons only permit 20.3 points per game. However, the timing of a lot of those points has been awful, as they gave up big second-half comebacks to the Patriots and the Dolphins earlier this season and could not get stops when they needed them against Minnesota. Adrian Clayborn leads an energetic pass rush with eight sacks, and Deion Jones leads the Falcons with 96 tackles. If the Falcons play the sort of defense that they’ve been playing lately, they have the talent in place to slow down the Saints. However, they need to get moving on offense and play to their strengths, getting the ball out of the pocket and down the field.

Latest NFL Lines Trends

  • New Orleans is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games
  • New Orleans is 9-1 SU in the last 10 games
  • The total went OVER in 10 of New Orleans’s last 15 games
  • Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in the last 9 games
  • Atlanta is 13-6 SU in the last 19 games
  • The total went OVER in 17 of Atlanta’s last 25 games

Expert Pick and Final Prediction for Week 14

New Orleans has played impressive ball since the first couple of weeks of the regular season, and they will be a dangerous opponent in the playoffs. They are 12-2 against the spread in their last 14 divisional games and 13-3 against the spread in their last 16 games away from home. I see New Orleans getting enough room to operate against Atlanta to take this win. I predict a final sc