The New Orleans Saints, sitting at 2-7 and tied for last place in the NFC South, host the 6-3 Atlanta Falcons. Our Falcons vs Saints prediction is for road favorite Atlanta to cover the 3.5-point spread.
New Orleans fired head coach Dennis Allen after their Week 9 loss to the Panthers.
Head-to-head, the teams are nearly even with Atlanta holding a slim one-game lead, 56-55.
Offshore Odds: Falcons a Road Favorite Over Reeling Saints
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | -3.5 (-105) | -182 | O 46.5 (-105) |
| Saints | +3.5 (-115) | +162 | U 46.5 (-115) |
Atlanta’s Remarkable Turnaround Continues
Under first-year head coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons look like a different team than they did in three years under Arthur Smith when they accrued a 21-30 record.
Morris, who was Atlanta’s interim head coach for 11 games in 2020 after Dan Quinn was fired, has brought enthusiasm and accountability to the team. It certainly helps that they signed a top-tier quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
If not for the Commanders’ turnaround, Atlanta would be the surprise of the NFL. They hold a two-game lead in the division and will probably make the playoffs.
Cousins has been the key. He is in the MVP conversation averaging 246 passing yards per game, good for 6th in the league. They are 12th in the league in points per game. One year ago, they finished 26th.
Top receiver Drake London is questionable with a hip injury.
New Orleans’ Interim Head Coach Faces Tough Task
After their Week 9 loss to last-place Carolina, New Orleans dismissed head coach Dennis Allen. He is being replaced on an interim basis by special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.
Rizzi, 54, has been coaching for three decades beginning in 1993 as a graduate assistant at Colgate. He has been with New Orleans since 2020.
Coaching changes are always a variable when projecting a team’s performance in the aftermath. If they struggled because the players hated or did not respect the head coach, the change could yield immediate results. However, if the team isn’t good or is riddled with injuries, there probably won’t be a marked difference.
The Saints are 15th in the league in points per game. That is skewed by their scoring explosions in the first two games this season when they posted 47 and 44 points against Carolina and Dallas. Since then, their offense has been pedestrian, partially due to Derek Carr’s oblique injury.
They have lost seven straight.
The Saints are an older team that needs an infusion of talent to get back into contention.
Falcons vs Saints Prediction: Atlanta Should Dominate New Orleans
The Falcons are rolling and will not let the Saints stand in their way as they head for a division title. Favored Atlanta will cover the relatively light spread of 3.5 points.
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