JEFF ALLEN GAME PREVIEW: ATLANTA at NEW ORLEANS
This week’s Monday Night Football offering features a NFC divisional matchup between the Atlanta
Falcons and the homestanding New Orleans Saints. The 1-1 Falcons are off road win at Oakland
while the 0-2 Saints are off a pair of final minute losses. New Orleans was partly responsible for the
Dirty Bird collapse last year when the ATL waltzed into the Metrodome last year for a Thursday nighter
after 5-0 SU and ATS start only to beat by 10 and a -3 road favorite.
The Saints have been installed as three-point favorites and the total is up a full point to 52 1/2. Over
the last two years the series is 2-2 SU and ATS with three of the four going under the total. Both teams
play on domes so other than crowd, weather and venue will be a non-factor in this 8:30 PM kickoff on
ESPN.
Rumors of the demise of Matt Ryan appear to be premature as the former Boston College great has
already thrown for 732 yards in just two games. Matt Ice has throw just one INT vs. five touchdowns and
owns a gaudy 121.2 QBR. Julio Jones has been nursing a calf injury but still has 9 catches for 172 yards
and two scores. Second year HC Dan Quinn was the DC at Seattle before this job and was hired to fix
the defense. That hasn’t happened with Atlanta no better than 25th in every significant metric and No.29
in total defense overall.
The Saints are staring down the barrel of an irreparable 0-3 and will be in desperation mode here. Drew
Brees is off to another start to a 4500 yard and 40+ touchdown season but the Saints have just 129 total
rushing yards on the year and it is impossible to win with that type of offensive balance. New Orleans
mirrors the Falcons profile with a brutal defense that is ranked No.31 overall in the league. Things don’t
figure to improve here as the Saints will be without both their starting cornerbacks and probably their best
linebacker.
The Falcon have had a lot of ATS success here over the years going 27-10 since 1978. That said, Atlanta
is just is just 2-10b SU and ATS in its L12 MNF division games. The Facons are 10-3 L13 as dogs. The
Saints are just 4-10 L14 as a home favorite but Sean Payton is 16-3 SU and 15-3-1 ATS in his L19 vs. an
opponent off a win. For Jeff Allen’s play on this game, visit www.vegasscoresandodds.com on Monday
by 9:00 AM EST.