The Atlanta Falcons were blown out in Week 1 but responded big-time with a 24-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Their Week 2 opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, also lost in Week 1 but rebounded in Week 2. One of these two teams has an opportunity to move ahead to 2-1 this week and get above .500, but which team is the best bet?

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Falcons haven’t exactly traveled well over the years. Atlanta, which lost its season opener in Minnesota, went 3-5 straight up on the road last season. Meanwhile, the Falcons have been even worse against AFC opponents. Atlanta is 1-9 straight up and 0-10 against the spread in its last 10 games against AFC opponents.

Indianapolis has trended in the opposite direction against non-conference opponents recently. The Colts are 4-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in their last five games against the NFC. Indianapolis went 6-2 straight up at Lucas Oil Stadium last season.

Atlanta Falcons

After he was limited in Week 1, the Falcons made sure that there were no excuses for not getting their No. 1 wide receiver the ball enough against Philadelphia. Julio Jones had five catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets including the winning score in overtime. Despite throwing three interceptions, Matt Ryan went for 320 yards and three scores. Atlanta’s offense certainly didn’t look perfect in Week 2. However, there was a major difference between what we saw last week compared to Week 1, and that difference helped the Falcons get to 1-1 instead of 0-2.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta defense got after Carson Wentz big time including three sacks. The Falcons need to be able to get after opposing quarterbacks in order to avoid letting their linebackers and secondary get exposed. Whether or not their pressure gets home against Indianapolis this Sunday afternoon could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Indianapolis Colts

Unfortunately for Atlanta, the Colts have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. That group put on a show in their Week 2 win over the Titans, as Indianapolis averaged 4.9 yards per carry on their way to 167 rushing yards in the victory. Jacoby Brissett held his own throwing for 146 yards and three scores. As long as the Colts can maintain that kind of balance between the run and pass their offense should be fine. Considering what Dalvin Cook and the Vikings did to Atlanta’s defense on the ground in Week 1, they should be fine.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis defense helped set the tone with four sacks while holding Marcus Mariota to 19-of-28 for 154 yards through the air. The Colts will have a tougher time this week trying to slow down Ryan and Jones. What should help is that the Falcons haven’t been able to run the ball worth a lick this season. They have a total of 130 rushing yards after two games. If the Colts can cut off the run again, the Falcons will have a tough time winning on the road.

Who Will Win Falcons vs. Colts?

FALCONS

Away

17

COLTS

Home

19

Score
Predictions

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