In both clubs’ first competitive action of the new season, the Detroit Lions will play host to the Atlanta Falcons as part of the NFL’s lineup of preseason openers. The game will be contested at Ford Field on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on NFL Network.
The matchup will pit a pair of second-year head coaches — Detroit’s Dan Campbell and Atlanta’s Arthur Smith — against one another.
Both will relish the chance to get a glimpse of what the cards will hold for them after uninspiring efforts in 2021.
There may not be any recent scores or 2022 NFL stats to base our picks off of. Nonetheless, let’s see what we have here with a Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons betting analysis.
2021-2022 NFL Matchups Scoreboard
Nothing went right for Detroit for most of last year. The Lions failed to win in their first 11 tries, then broke through with a victory over the division rival Minnesota in Week 13. They rounded out their campaign with a 3-13-1 record in the cellar of the NFC North division.
Atlanta went 7-10 for a third-place finish in the NFC South. They were 4-4 at one point in the schedule before falling under .500 for good over the weeks that followed.
While it doesn’t count, this contest could provide some confidence for two teams who didn’t have much to boast about the last time we saw them. Both will be aiming to climb higher in the NFL standings when the real action gets underway.
Lions vs. Falcons Betting Analysis
Detroit Lions Analysis
Simply put, the Lions were dismal on the defensive side a year ago. They ranked second-to-last in terms of points allowed (467) and had the fourth-worst unit when it came to yards given up (6,456).
They’ll hope that their first-round pick, former Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, can help shore up that struggling group, along with cornerback and former No. 1 pick Jeff Okudah, who tore his Achilles tendon in the team’s regular season opener last fall.
Detroit’s Offense
On offense, Detroit returns quarterback Jared Goff, who was acquired from Los Angeles in a trade for former franchise stalwart Matthew Stafford.
We saw how that turned on the West Coast as the Rams grabbed a Super Bowl title. If Goff doesn’t want to be replaced by this time next season, he’ll have to show Dan Campbell more than he did previously.
With him behind center for most of the campaign last year, the Lions threw the sixth-most passes in the league.
Their rushing game wasn’t the strongest despite having two 600-yard runners in D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.
On the depth chart, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, and Jameson Williams figure to be the starters outside during this go-round.
Atlanta Falcons Analysis
For the first time in a long while, the Atlanta Falcons won’t line Matt Ryan up behind center. The franchise’s passing leader was dealt to Indianapolis after the team pursued Deshaun Watson, ending an era.
Neither the offense nor the defense impressed last season. The latter was the fourth-worst in the NFL as it pertained to points allowed (459).
The former lacked an effective ground game, leaving a lot up to the veteran passer, who started all 17 games and threw for nearly 4,000 yards.
Tight end Kyle Pitts paced the pass-catchers with 1,026 receiving yards but could only find the endzone once. Cordarrelle Patterson ran for the most yards on the squad (618) while also lending a hand as a wideout.
Changing of Signal-caller
With the changing of the guard at signal-caller, Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder are competing for the starting gig. Drake London, a first-round pick from USC, will be pulling in passes.
While they won’t want to risk injury at the game’s most important position, it is possible that the Falcons give their passers a longer leash.
Mariota, a former second-overall draft choice, spent the last few years backing Derek Carr up in Las Vegas. Ridder, who figures to be the group’s quarterback of the future, hasn’t suited up as a pro just yet.
NFL Injury Report
The Lions have a number of players who are ruled out, including the rookie receiver Williams, fullback Jason Cabinda, and defensive ends Romeo Okwara and Josh Paschal. All of those players are listed in Detroit’s two-deep.
Along with them, receiver Quintez Cephus is questionable with a leg injury. Atlanta is relatively healthy, as only wideout Bryan Edwards and linebacker Deion Jones are nursing injuries at the moment.
The former has been practicing while dealing with a hurt shoulder, while the latter is on the physically unable to perform list with the same sort of injury.
Lions vs. Falcons Betting Preview
Before we make some NFL picks, let’s check out the NFL odds for this one. The visitors appear to have the upper hand, being that they’re -1 on the spread at -110. The Lions are listed at the same number to cover.
On the moneyline, the Falcons are -120, while Detroit is a +100 underdog. The total is set at 35.5 points, with the over and the under put down at -110 at the time of this writing.
Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons Betting Prediction
It’s not likely that either team’s major players see much time on the field, but this one could be one of the more intriguing games on this week’s slate.
The Falcons will probably let their passers go for longer, which might mean they’ll be able to put up more points. Take them to cover and parlay it with the under, if you’re feeling adventurous.
NFL Pick: Falcons pk (-110)
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