New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Atlanta Falcons(-2)
Game Total Line: (43)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

Atlanta (12-2, 10-4 ATS) has rolled to eight straight wins after beating Seattle 34-18 last week. The Falcons have been deadly against the spread, going 7-1 ATS in that span.

The defense took center stage against the Seahawks. Seattle managed just 234 yards while turning the ball over three times. Atlanta flustered Matt Hasselbeck so badly, he was benched in favor of Charlie Whitehurst. It was nice to see such a strong performance against the pass with Drew Brees coming to town, especially considering Atlanta's struggles this season. They rank just 20th in pass yards allowed this season. To be fair, though, the Falcons have built up some leads this season, forcing opponents to throw their way back into games.

The Falcons weren't as sharp as usual offense, managing just 266 yards. Atlanta made the most of its opportunities, though. It capitalized with points on short fields, scoring on drives that began on their own 49 and 40, and Seattle's 37 and 21. Typically, Atlanta will roll up more yardage. Michael Turner has already racked up 1256 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, while Matt Ryan has thrown for 25 scores and just nine interceptions.

New Orleans (10-4, 5-9 ATS) had its six-game winning streak snapped with last week's 30-24 loss at Baltimore. It continued a rough patch against the spread for the Saints, who are just 1-3 ATS in their last four games. They need just one more win-or a loss by Tampa Bay-to clinch a playoff spot.

Drew Brees continue his hot run for New Orleans, though he failed to throw for over 300 yards for a fourth consecutive game. Still, he finished with three touchdown passes, giving him 13 in his last five games. The offense couldn't get the running game going without Chris Ivory, however. Ivory had been playing excellent until a hamstring slowed him two weeks ago. The return of Pierre Thomas did nothing, as Thomas finished with just 20 yards on six carries. Ivory is expected to return on Monday.

On the other side of the ball, the Saints were pounded by the run. Baltimore racked up over 200 yards on the ground, well over their average of 117 per game this season. With Turner on tap, that's a little scary. The secondary might be a little thin as well. Jabari Greer was knocked out of the Ravens game with a knee injury, and his status could be in doubt right up until kick off.

The Saints are 7-3 in their last 10 games against Atlanta, though the Falcons are 6-4 ATS during the same span. In fact, the Falcons have covered three consecutive games against New Orleans. Atlanta won 27-24 when they met in September. The total has gone over in five of the last six games between these clubs; Bodog has set the total for Monday's match up at 48.5 points.

Point Spread Pick

Take the Falcons -2 at 5Dimes on game day for reduced juice betting!