75% of Bettors Taking Niners as 10-Point Favorites vs Falcons in Week 15 – Picks & Odds
- 57% of the overall handle is on the San Francisco 49ers in this game with 75% of the bet count
- 53% of the sharp action is on the Atlanta Falcons
- The 49ers will be without several key contributors on defense, including Richard Sherman and Dee Ford
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a huge win over the New Orleans Saints last week in a clash of the top teams in the NFC. This week, they’re facing the lowly Atlanta Falcons in what should be a much easier contest. Currently, the wager count sits at 75-percent on the 49ers in this game, according to some books. Is that the right side or is there value with the dog?
Atlanta Falcons vs San Francisco 49ers Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | +10.0 (-107) | +410 | O 48 (-110) |
| San Francisco 49ers | -10.0 (-113) | -540 | U 48 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 13
49ers Edge Saints in Epic Showdown
The 49ers are coming off a big win in New Orleans in a battle for the top spot in the NFC. It was a close, down-to-the-wire game but the 49ers pulled it out, earning the 48-46 victory. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was fantastic, throwing for 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Greg Papa’s best calls from Sunday’s win against the Saints?
Greg Papa’s best calls from Sunday’s win against the Saints ⬇️.
(?: @49ers) pic.twitter.com/XYA3LdkNKZ
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 9, 2019
The 49ers will have to be careful as their game with the Saints required a lot of intensity; they might think that this week’s game won’t. The Falcons are just 4-9 and if the 49ers show up assuming the win, they could be in for a surprise. The Falcons beat the Saints in New Orleans five weeks ago in a game the Saints thought they’d easily win.
Falcons Are Showing Some Fight
There’s no question that it’s been a disastrous season for the Falcons. They started the year with just one win in their first eight games and were scratched off the list of playoff contention by the halfway point of the season. However, the Falcons haven’t quit.
What’s kooler than being Koo? pic.twitter.com/4ps4Vno6aT
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 8, 2019
Atlanta has won three times in their last five games, which shows that they are still fighting. However, two of those wins were over Carolina, who is the midst of a nosedive, and one was against the Saints, whom they caught off-guard.
What’s the Best Bet?
This looks like a classic letdown game as the 49ers are coming off a very important win over the Saints, reclaiming the top seed in the NFC in the process. At the same time, they have divisional games against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the final two weeks to look ahead to.
On top of that, there has to be a little bit of concern for the 49ers in terms of their injuries. Cornerback Richard Sherman, who has graded out as one of the best in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus, will be out on Sunday. That’s just one of many losses on the defense.
#49ers DE Dee Ford is likely to miss 4 weeks with a hamstring injury, per @RapSheet | Earning the 1st round bye will be critical for the Niners.
Additionally, veteran pass rusher Terrell Suggs has been released by AZ. SF would be wise to make a claim to help the depleted depth. pic.twitter.com/LdN9VTq3jX
— ourSF49ers (@OSf49ers) December 13, 2019
Going by the 49ers’ opening-day lineup, this team will likely be without five starters off of their defense. Beyond Sherman, linebacker Dee Ford is out as well as nose tackle DJ Jones, nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams and safety Jaquiski Tartt. That’s a lot for any team to lose.
On top of that, consider that the 49ers defense is coming off one of their worst games of 2019 as they gave up season-highs for yards and points. This unit is somewhat vulnerable. At the same time, they’re not facing the Saints this week; they’re facing the Falcons.
Atlanta’s defense has held tough of late but they’re a fairly shaky unit. They’ve allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 100.3 passer rating – the seventh-worst mark in the NFL – and now have to take on a red-hot Garoppolo. They have the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL with just 23 and keep in mind that six came in the win over the Saints.
Lost in excitement of 49ers’ win were the injuries they suffered:
*C Weston Richburg carted off with knee injury.
*DE Dee Ford left game with a hamstring injury.
*CB Richard Sherman left with a hamstring injury.
*CB K’Wayn Williams left with a concussion.
Costly win.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 8, 2019
For the 49ers, this should be rudimentary: run the ball to set up the pass, get an early lead and force the game on Matt Ryan’s shoulders. He’s only been able to lead the team to wins in a handful of situations when that’s the case and he won’t have much success on the road in San Francisco if the game is on him.
But there’s really no other way as the Falcons rank third-last in rush offense with 80.8 yards per game on the ground. Even with all of the injuries, the 49ers should be just fine stopping the Falcons, who’ll be quite predictable in this game.
I’m not a huge fan of laying the big number here but I don’t have much faith in the Falcons – even with this little stretch where they’ve played better. The 49ers should win comfortably in this spot.
Pick: San Fran -10 (-113)
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
