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Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons NFL Sports Betting Guide

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A battle between Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan is always high on the must-watch list. The Philadelphia Eagles made some upgrades on offense this offseason and look as explosive as ever. The Atlanta Falcons have Pro Bowl talents Devonta Freeman, Keanu Neal, and Deion Jones back in the fold and will be looking to make the postseason after missing out last year. The NFC is loaded once again this season, but both of these teams have the talent to make it to the playoffs. Let’s dig in.

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Details

  • Opening Lines: The line for this contest opened at -1.5 for Atlanta and an over/under total of 51 points. It has seen some movement on both numbers and now sits at -2 on Philadelphia. The total has increased to 52.5
  • Current Line: Philadelphia -2 
  • O/U: 52.5
  • Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Start Time: 8:20 PM EST, Sunday, September 15th
  • Last Meeting: Philadelphia defeated Atlanta 18-12 – September 6th, 2018

View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Eagles at Falcons>>

Overview

The Philadelphia Eagles are riding high after an excellent season opener that saw them beat Washington in exciting fashion 32-27. The Eagles spent the offseason focusing on upgrading their offense. They traded with the Chicago Bears for running back Jordan Howard. They then proceeded to double down on upgrading the position by drafting rookie running back Miles Sanders in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. At wide receiver, they welcomed an old friend back home in electric wideout DeSean Jackson. They would once again look to the draft for a talent infusion as they spent a second-round pick on JJ Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles would spend their first-round pick on an offensive tackle in NFL Combine star Andre Dillard. Philadelphia will be looking to improve on their 9-7 record from 2018. They certainly have made the personnel upgrades to do just that and could be looking at a double-digit win season. 

Atlanta is coming off an embarrassing outing against the Minnesota Vikings. They could not get the offense going until the end of the game and saw Dalvin Cook run roughshod over them for the entire contest. Losing a game when the opponent passes the ball just 10 times is something this Falcons team is sure to be looking to make amends for in Week 2. Atlanta made some questionable personnel decisions this offseason as they reached in the first round for an interior offensive lineman in day two prospect Chris Lindstrom (now on IR). As if reaching for one lineman in the first round was not bad enough, the Falcons doubled down by selecting another day two prospect in tackle Kaleb McGary at the end of the first. They would later proceed to reach for running back Qadree Ollison in the fifth round when there were still far superior talents still on the board.

On the defensive side of the ball, Atlanta has welcomed back Pro Bowl talents Kenau Neal and Deion Jones, both of whom missed the majority of 2018 with season-ending injuries. On offense, the Falcons are welcoming back starting running back Devonta Freeman. Getting Freeman back is big news after the team lost Tevin Coleman to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. The Falcons will be looking to make a major improvement on their 7-9 record from last season. They have the talent to make the playoffs but will have to navigate a tough schedule to walk away from this season with more than eight wins. The Falcons have not lost two straight games to open the season since 2007 and will be looking to continue that trend with a Week 2 victory. 

Trends

  • The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four contests between these two teams.
  • Philadelphia is 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 contests against Atlanta.
  • Under is 4-0 in the last four contests between these two teams. 
  • Under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings between these two teams that were played in Atlanta. 
  • Philadelphia is 4-0 ATS in their last four road contests.
  • Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in their last six contests overall.
  • Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in their last five contests against the NFC.
  • Philadelphia is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 week two contests.
  • Philadelphia is 0-4 ATS in their last four September contests.
  • Atlanta is 4-0 ATS in their last four Week 2 contests. 
  • Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in their last seven home contests.
  • Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in their last seven contests against the NFC.
  • Atlanta is 2-7 ATS in their last nine contests. 
  • Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in their last five September contests. 
  • Over is 13-3-1 in Philadelphia’s last 17 Week 2 contests.
  • Under is 5-2 in Philadelphia’s last seven contests against teams with losing records. 
  • Under is 5-2 in Philadelphia’s last seven road contests. 
  • Over is 5-2 in Philadelphia’s last seven September contests. 
  • Under is 9-4 in Philadelphia’s last 13 contests following a loss ATS. 
  • Under is 4-0 in Atlanta’s last four home contests against teams with winning records.
  • Over is 9-3 in Atlanta’s last 13 September contests. 
  • Under is 12-4 in Atlanta’s last 16 contests against teams with winning records. 
  • Over is 7-3 in Atlanta’s last 10 Week 2 contests. 
  • Over is 7-3 in Atlanta’s last 10 contests following a loss ATS. 

Prop Bets

Eagles first half -0.5 (-112)
The line for this contest is set as if Vegas believes the Eagles will once again rally in the second half to take the victory over the Falcons. The Falcons were downright bad against the Vikings but should have an easier time with an Eagles squad that struggled to contain Washington and exciting rookie Terry McLaurin. As mentioned above, this contest opened with the Falcons as the favorite which is another reason the first-half spread could still be so low. Regardless of the actual reason, there appears to be some value here on the Eagles. Load them up as a one to two-unit play at -112 at 888Sport. 

Bottom Line

The Atlanta Falcons playing at home has kept this spread low. While it is important not to overreact to Week 1, the Eagles 2019 offense is a different animal from what we saw in 2018. A two-point spread at -110 is the safer play as it gives you the opportunity for a push. At 888Sport alternative lines are offered. The -2.5 spread at -106 appears to be a superior value. The four cents juice may not seem like much but can certainly add up based on your unit size and will definitely accumulate over the course of the season. The fact that the Falcons opened as favorites and now sit as home dogs should tell us all we need to know about what the sharps and early bettors feel about this contest. Roll with the early money and the improved juice on the alternative line at 888Sport. The Eagles look like the better team and the early money agrees. Make the Eagles a strong consideration as a one or two-unit play.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles -2.5 (-106)

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Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive, and follow him @FantasyContext.