How to Bet on Arizona at Atlanta NFL Preseason Pick

One of the biggest questions waiting to be answered this coming NFL preseason is about how the Atlanta Falcons will be able to bounce back after their epic collapse in the Super Bowl. There is no denying that they are once again going to have an offense to be reckoned with, but the biggest issues are on the defensive side of the football. Have they done enough in the draft and free agency to plug the holes that were so readily taken advantage of by Tom Brady and the Patriots a few months ago?

We should get a little bit of a clearer picture in Week 3 of the preseason, as that is when the starts begin to get some real playing time. The Falcons have lost the first 2 games of their preseason, but will be looking to bounce back against an Arizona Cardinals team that are proving to be a bit of a mystery. They look to be getting a little long in the tooth, but still have an awful lot of talented guys on both sides of the football. Only time will tell with this group; nonetheless, make sure to check on the current betting odds for this NFL match here.

How to Bet on Arizona at Atlanta NFL Preseason Lines & Pick

When: Saturday, August 26 at 7 PM EST Where: Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta TV: NFL Network Radio: Sirius XM Radio Live Stream: NFL Game Pass NFL Preseason Odds: Atlanta Falcons -3½ (-110)

GAMETIME WEATHER

Chance of Rain: 27°C/81°F
Humidity: 50%
Precipitation: 32%
Cloud Cover: 76%
Wind: 7 mph ENE
Stadium Type: Retractable

Straight Up Stats

Arizona took a backwards step in 2016, finishing the season with a 7-8-1 record, which took them to 32-18-1 since 2014. Those 3-year stats show you just how far they fell last year. Over that time, the Cardinals went 14-12 on the road, which included a 5-8 record as the road underdog. Was last year a one off or a sign of things to come?

We all remember how the season ended for the Falcons last season, but let’s not forget that they put together a very solid 13-6 season, taking their 3-year record to 27-24. The Falcons will be in new digs this coming season, and will be looking to improve on their 14-11 record over the past 3 seasons. As the home favorite, which they are for this one, the Falcons were a disappointing 9-10.

Football Preseason Lines & Preview for Indianapolis at Pittsburgh

Point Spread Stats

The Cardinals come into this game as a 3 ½ point road underdog. At 6-10 ATS, the Cardinals were not a particularly good bet last season. They dropped to 26-25 ATS over the past 3 seasons, which included going a pretty decent 14-12 on the road. When playing as the road underdog during this time, Arizona posted a 6-7 record ATS.

Unlike the Cardinals, the Falcons were a great bet ATS, posting a 12-7 record on the season. That took their record since 2014 to 25-26. The Falcons struggled to cover at home during this stretch, going just 11-14. They were a rather miserable 6-13 as a home favorite since 2014, although you still have to like their chances in this one.

OVER/UNDER Stats

The O/U for this one is set at 43 ½ points. Arizona saw 10 of their 16 games go over last season, taking their O/U record over the past 3 seasons to 26-24-1. The OVER was definitely a good bet when the Cardinals were one the road, as they posted a 17-8-1 O/U record since 2014, which included going 8-4-1 as the road underdog.

The Falcons went 15-10 at home during this same period, and were 12-7 as a home favorite this NFL preseason.

The Falcons scored a lot of points last season, so no real surprise to see their O/U record in 2016 at 16-2-1, taking them to 24-25-2 over the past 3 seasons. The Falcons went 15-10 at home during this same period, and were 12-7 as a home favorite, all of which makes the over look like a very good bet here.

ARIZONA CARDINALS NFL PRESEASON TEAM STATISTICS

Offensive total yards 366.75 Current Offensive rush yards 109.62 Offensive passing yards 257.12 Average Score For 26.12 Defensive total yards 305.12 Current Defensive rush yards 94.88 Defensive passing yards 210.25 Average Score Against 22.62

ATLANTA FALCONS NFL PRESEASON TEAM STATISTICS

Offensive total yards 416.42 Current Offensive rush yards 117.47 Offensive passing yards 298.95 Average Score For 34.11 Defensive total yards 376.84 Current Defensive rush yar ds104.11 Defensive passing yards 272.74 Average Score Against 25.32

Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals Game History

Total Meetings: 30 First Meeting: December 11th, 1966. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Atlanta, Georgia. Last Meeting: November 27th, 2016. Georgia Dome. Atalanta, Georgia. All-Time Series: Arizona 16-14-0 Largest Margin of Victory: Atlanta 41-7 (2010) Longest Win Streak: Arizona 5 (1968-1978) Current Win Streak: Arizona 2 (2014-2016)

Expert Pick and NFL Preseason Final Score Prediction

The Falcons won both of the previous meetings with the Cardinals, with the total score in those games easily eclipsing what the bookies have listed for this one. I imagine that the Falcons starting offense will play the entire first half, and they will put point on the board. Let’s go with the Falcons to win and cover, with the total score going OVER.