Well, the NFL season is in full swing, and NFL Week 5 showed why we play the games on Sunday. The 49ers blew past the Panthers in a 37-15 win as the Falcons battled with the Buccaneers before an egregious nonexistent roughing the passer call ended the Falcons’ hopes in a 21-15 loss.
Looking into next week, the 49ers will travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in a must-win game for Atlanta. We’ll look ahead, break down the matchup and tell you the 49ers vs. Falcons best bets.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons
49ers Current Odds
San Francisco is the favorite, according to NFL Week 6 odds. The spread for the 49ers is set at -5.5, while the money line’s current price is -250.
These odds have the 49ers odds to win currently sitting around 71.43%, which is about where I would have them as well. With a spread lower than a Touchdown as well, that sits as a pretty tempting option.
Falcons Current Odds
Sitting as +5.5 point underdogs shouldn’t bother the Falcons as they were +8 dogs at kick-off against Tampa, which, as mentioned earlier, is a game they could’ve won.
Their Moneyline is currently priced at +205, which sets their implied odds at 32.79%. The over/under is set at 42.5 points.
49ers Strengths and Weaknesses
You may be wondering why, if the odds are so good, they win the spread so low. That is because the 49ers win by dominating the time of possession.
Kyle Shanahan loves to take his time with the football. And with what some argue to be the best defense in the league, they get the ball back often and quickly.
Against Carolina, their offense was working like a well-oiled machine. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 18 of 30 for 253 yards and 2 TDS, while Jeffrey Wilson ran the ball down the Panthers’ throats carrying it 17 times for 120 yards and picking himself up a TD as well.
NFL Team Stats
When looking at NFL team stats, the 49ers’ Defense is leading the league in total yards allowed. I expect them to continue that trend into next week against an Atlanta Falcons offense that still seems to be putting it all together.
Falcons Strengths and Weakness
I’m gonna cut to the chase. The Falcons are bad. The defense may be the strength of the Falcons, not because they’re actually good, but because their offense is so bad.
Though they held their own against Tom Brady and the Bucs, I still question the quality of the opponent Tampa truly is. Truth be told, this team has a lot of weaknesses but always keeps the game tight.
The Falcons got Mariota in free agency, who had previously worked with Arthur Smith, and many assumed that if Mariota was going to show that he still has potential as a starting QB in the NFL, Atlanta was going to be possibly the best and last shot for the 8th-year vet.
NFL Player Stats
Well, here we are five games in, and Mariota hasn’t shown it at all. His NFL player stats are average at best, and he isn’t finding the endzone often while turning it over often with a TD-to-INT ratio of 4-4.
The Defense ranks 27th in total yards allowed currently. However, constantly finds a way to keep the Falcons within striking distance, having three losses, all within a single possession.
They are ranked 21st in points allowed and 5-0 against the spread. Making the spread the best Falcons pick there is in what could be their hardest game yet.
Team Season Forecast
Season Forecast for 49ers
With Nick Bosa, Emmanuel Moseley, and Jimmie Ward being hurt, we could see a potential moment in which the 49ers’ Defense is having miscues, but the depth in San Francisco has me confident that the 49ers will be more than able to make up the difference and continue their stellar play and end up as a wild card team this year.
Season Forecast for Falcons
Kyle Pitts hasn’t been having as much productivity as he should be getting in the season so far, and his injury may be setting him back even more.
Mykal Walker left the Tampa game early. Injuries aren’t the major issue for Atlanta, and they are a scrappy team.
However, one can’t help but feel like it’s a shame that the Falcons’ young stadium is home to this rebuilding team that is unlikely to do much this year. Keep this in mind when making Falcons picks.
What to Expect from this Matchup?
Expect a lot of running, long drives, and low scoring, which is the exact opposite of what football fans crave.
However, from a betting perspective, it’s welcomed as this style of play is more consistent when it comes to betting the point total.
49ers vs. Falcons Prediction and Best Bets
I expect the game to be close in score, but on the field, we see dominance from the 49ers.
I see Atlanta’s streak against the spread ending in what football fans will call a boring game and what we will call profitable. If you’re looking for easy money, the Under is one of my 49ers vs. Falcons best bets.
NFL Pick: 49ers (-250)
NFL Pick: 49ers -6 (-110)
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