Thursday Betting Preview: Falcons poised to 'Rise up'
The NFL is enduring another awful week, and this time it will be on the shoulders of the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to offer a distraction from the league's off-field naughtiness as the NFC South takes center stage Thursday night.
The Falcons are favored to take the game, but it's the total that has garnered the attention of bettors.
More NFL Betting Resources
Opening Line Report | Staff Picks
Week 3 Betting Preview (Friday)
Game Day Betting Update (Sunday)
MNF Preview (Monday)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
Spread: Falcons -6
Total: 46
Line movement:
| Team | Opening Line | Current Line | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | +6.5 | +6 | 19% |
| Falcons | -6.5 | -6 | 81% |
| Team | Opening Total | Current Total | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | ov 45 | ov 46 -110 | 79% |
| Falcons | un 45 | un 46 -110 | 21% |
The public has heavily backed the Falcons, but the sharps have sided with the Buccaneers. Both sides seem to like the over.
Analysis: The focus entering this game has been the health of Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, and there are rumors that Bobby Rainey could start whether Martin suits up or not.
The Buccaneers could be just fine going with Rainey, who gashed the Falcons' defense to the tune of 167 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns in Week 11 last season.
After entering the season with lofty expectations, an 0-2 start surely means changes are in store for this Buccaneers team.
The Falcons crashed back down to Earth last week, when they went to Cincinnati and fell to the Bengals by two scores after picking up a key win over the New Orleans Saints in their opener.
Atlanta's pass attack was stuck in the mud all game, but should get going again inside the Georgia Dome. Quarterback Matt Ryan is 37-10 as a starter at home, including a 5-1 mark against these very Buccaneers.
Ryan also lives for short weeks, going 3-1 with seven touchdowns and no interceptions on Thursdays.
Coaching wins in short weeks, and right now, Tampa just does not look coachable.
Prediction: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 17
The Play: Falcons -6
The Trend: The Falcons are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games after scoring fewer than 15 points in their previous game.
The Tweet:
Best QB home records since 2008:
Tom Brady 38-3
Peyton Manning 35-7
Joe Flacco 40-10
Aaron Rodgers 35-9
Matt Ryan 37-10
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 18, 2014
Odds courtesy Scoresandodds.com. Statistics courtesy Pregame.com. Trends courtesy Covers.