Kansas City at Atlanta Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

Kansas City at Atlanta Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

Written by on December 1, 2016

The Kansas City Chiefs won a game on Sunday night in Denver that they had no right doing so. It was amazing. But big victories like that, especially that go deep into overtime, can literally drain a team physically and emotionally for a while. So are the Chiefs due for a big letdown Sunday at high-powered Atlanta? Oddmakers expect a Falcons victory in the NFL odds.

Kansas City at Atlanta Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Sunday, Dec. 4, 1 PM ET Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta TV: CBS RadioKansas City / Atlanta Stream Option: NFL Live Opening NFL Lines: Falcons -3.5 (49)

Why Bet on Kansas City?

The Chiefs improved to 8-3 with a 30-27 overtime victory at Denver on Sunday night. Cairo Santos’ 34- yard field goal hit the left upright and bounced through as the overtime period expired. Alex Smith threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill and a 2-point conversion pass to tight end Demetrius Harris with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 24. Hill’s third touchdown of the night capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included three defensive penalties, a fourth-and- 10 conversion at the Broncos 3 and zero Kansas City timeouts. Hill had a kickoff-return touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the game, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers in 1965. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, linebacker Dee Ford and cornerback Steve Nelson all returned to practice on Wednesday after missing last week’s game. Maclin left early in the first quarter four weeks ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been sidelined ever since. Ford is tied for second in the league with 10 sacks. With Justin Houston back healthy, he and Ford could wreak havoc on Matt Ryan this week. Houston played 89 percent of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in Week 12, up 18 percent from his Week 11 debut. Houston returned from an ACL injury in Week 11 and is already handling nearly a full workload after two weeks. Houston responded with a monster performance, racking up 10 tackles and three of Kansas City’s five sacks against Denver in Week 12. Defensive tackle Dontari Poe was absent from practice on Wednesday as he continues to nurse a back injury. Poe suffered the injury in the second quarter of last week’s game. The Chiefs have taken the ball away from their opponent 24 times this season, which leads the league. Those takeaways have led to 72 points, which ranks second. They also lead the league with a turnover differential of plus-14. The Chiefs are led in this department by cornerback Marcus Peters, who ranks second in the NFL with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Why Bet on Atlanta?

The Falcons (7-4) maintained their lead in the NFC South with a 38-19 victory over Arizona. Quarterback Matt Ryan passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns – both to wide receiver Taylor Gabriel – and became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 200 yards in 50 consecutive games. Ryan is off to the best start of his career and getting MVP consideration. He’s completing 69 percent of his passes with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Of Ryan’s 26 touchdown passes, 13 of them have come from 20-plus yards out. Ryan’s passer rating on passes that travel 21-plus yards in the air is 133.5, which is the best in the league. Overall, the Falcons have put together 175 plays of 10-plus yards and 56 of 20-plus yards, both of which lead the NFL. It’s on defense where Atlanta has troubles. And this week, the Falcons had to shuffle their roster after putting top cornerback Desmond Trufant (pectoral muscle) on injured reserve, ending his season. Trufant is to have surgery, which typically involves 3 to 4 months of recovery. He’s the team’s best defensive player. “Desmond is an awesome player; just terrific,” wide receiver Mohamed Sanu said. “It definitely gives our defense a blow. But we have other players who can step up and make plays. But we’re definitely going to miss him. He’s a great corner. I love going against him in practice. He gets me better.” Defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn tore the medical collateral ligament in his left knee vs. Arizona and is expected to miss the next month. Clayborn, currently stands second on the team with 4.5 sacks and leads the team with 15 quarterback hits. Vic Beasley Jr. leads the Falcons in sacks with 9.5. Losing Clayborn for any period of time puts the onus on Beasley and seven-time Pro Bowler Dwight Freeney to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Kansas City at Atlanta Expert Pick: Atlanta

Chiefs are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win. Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win. Over is 5-0 in Falcons last 5 home games. Take the Falcons and go over the NFL betting total.