Week 17 NFL Expert Picks: New Orleans At Atlanta

2017 is set to go off with a pretty loud bang, as we have a full slate of NFL games on the schedule this coming Sunday. There is only one playoff spot to be decided in the NFC, but there could still be some movement in the final seeding, too, making quite a few of the games high on the importance scale. The Atlanta Falcons are determined to hang on to the #2 seed that they now possess, but the only way they can do that for sure is to take out their division rivals, the New Orleans Saints, in the Georgia Dome. Given how the season has gone, this would seem like a relatively straightforward task on paper, but it tends to be a bit of a close battle whenever these two teams hook up. In the last 4 meetings, it has been the team that has won the turnover battle that has won the game, so protecting the ball is going to be key. The Falcons are coming into this one as a 7-point betting odds favorite.

Here’s A Closer Look At The Week 17 NFL Expert Picks: Saints At Falcons

When: Sunday, January 1 at 4:25 PM EST Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta TV: FOX Radio: WWL and WZGC Live Stream: FOX Sports GO NFL Odds: TBA

Why bet on the New Orleans Saints

Whenever you have Drew Brees under center, you have a shot at winning the game, especially when going against a defense that is not exactly championship caliber. Brees needs less than 200 yards to hit 5,000 passing yards in a season for the 5th time, and he should get it against a sometimes porous Falcons defense. While their season is officially over in terms of a playoff push, the Saints are finishing strong, coming into this one with back to back wins where they have put up 79 points in total. The saints have been an excellent pick as the underdog this season, going a healthy 6-1 ATS, whilst also going 5-1 ATS on the road.

Why bet on the Atlanta Falcons

To see the Falcons as the winners of the NFC South is a bit of a surprise given the expectations for this team at the start of the season. They are first in offensive PPG, but are way down in 25th in defensive PPG, which shows that it has been shootout time in way too many games for them this season. It has worked for them so far, but you have to wonder how that defense is going to hold up in the playoffs. That is why the second seed is so important for this team, as it will guarantee them a bye and at least one home game. The Falcons are 10-5 ATS this season, but just 5-4 ATS as a favorite.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This should be a good test for the Falcons as they prepare for the playoffs, and I get the feeling that we might see a surprise here. Not so sure that the Saints can pull out the win, but I do think they keep it close.