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79% of Bettors Are Laying the 14 Points with New Orleans vs Atlanta in Week 10 – Picks & Odds

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Apr 3, 2020 · 11:12 AM PDT

Alvin Kamara running with the football
Alvin Kamara's return to the lineup after being sidelined by injury has further bolstered the New Orleans Saints' position as heavy 14-point favorites in Sunday's clash with the freefalling Atlanta Falcons. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)
  • New Orleans Saints have climbed to 14-point favorites in Week 10 clash with Atlanta
  • Sports bettors have flocked to the Saints since they opened as 13-point chalk
  • Read below to see if the return of Matt Ryan can help the Falcons keep pace with the Saints 

The New Orleans Saints will be aiming to ride the momentum they have gained at the sportsbooks this week, when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday as lofty 14-point favorites on the NFL odds.

Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Atlanta Falcons +14 (-116) +562 Ov 51.5 (-110)
New Orleans Saints -14 (-104) -800 Un 51.5 (-110)

*Odds taken November 9

Saints Attracting Heavy Interest at Sportsbooks

New Orleans has attracted sports bettors in big numbers since opening as a 13-point favorite, with 65% of the handle and 79% of the bet count getting placed on the NFC South divisional leaders going into Week 10 against the Falcons.

The Saints have been buoyed by the return of starting quarterback Drew Brees. The future Hall-of-Famer missed five games after suffering a thumb injury that required surgery. But the 40-year-old showed no ill effects in his return to action last weekend, tossing for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 31-9 rout of the Arizona Cardinals as 12.5-point chalk.

Kamara’s Return Bolsters Saints’ Backfield

Brees is not the only star the Saints will have back in action this weekend. Running back Alvin Kamara also looks set to return after missing two games with knee and ankle injuries. The 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was averaging over 108 combined receiving and rushing yards before getting sidelined in the Saint’s 13-6 win in Jacksonville in Week 6.

Latavius Murray effectively picked up the slack in Kamara’s absence, piling up 306 combined yards and three touchdowns over the past two outings, and powering the Saints to back-to-back wins by double-digit margins

However, veteran Latavius Murray effectively picked up the slack in Kamara’s absence, piling up 306 combined yards and three touchdowns over the past two outings, powering the Saints to back-to-back wins by double-digit margins. And even with Kamara’s return, Murray remains likely to carry the ball with regularity, providing New Orleans with a daunting backfield attack.

Falcons Ride Six-Game SU Losing Streak

None of this is good news for the Falcons, who return from a bye in Week 9 riding a six-game SU losing streak. Atlanta has fallen to defeat by an average margin of 12.2 points per game during its current swoon, with their lone ATS win during that stretch coming in their last outing, a 27-20 loss to the visiting Seattle Seahawks as 7.5-point underdogs.

The team has also struggled through slow starts in their past two outings, scoring seven or fewer first-half points in four of their past six outings, and just three total first-half points over their past two games. The slide has put head coach Dan Quinn on the hot seat, lifting him to the top of the odds to be the next NFL head coach to be fired.

Opponents have racked up big offensive numbers during Atlanta’s swoon, piling up 33.7 points per game, fueled by 17 total touchdown passes. That trend also extends to recent dates with the Saints, who have averaged 32.3 points per game and connected on eight total touchdown passes while posting three straight victories. The Falcons have also dropped three of four when playing in the Big Easy, by an average over 11 points per game.

Ryan’s Return Good News for Beleaguered Falcons

However, like the Saints, the Falcons hope to get a lift from the return of starting quarterback Matt Ryan. The 34-year-old was forced to miss just the third start of his NFL career two weeks ago due to an ankle injury, and along with favorite target Julio Jones, represents the best chance that Atlanta has to keep things close in New Orleans on Sunday.

The duo have emerged as one of the few bright spots in Atlanta this season. Ryan sat among the league leaders in passing yards before his injury, and has been outstanding in the Falcons’ three recent losses to New Orleans, averaging 346.3 passing yards and connecting on eight total scoring passes. Jones has averaged 117 receiving yards over his past three outings. However, he has failed to catch a scoring pass since Week 3, and has just one total touchdown reception in his last 10 appearances against the Saints.

Sharps Liking Saints

In addition to the heavy betting volume following the Saints, 76% of sharp bettors are also laying the 14 points with New Orleans this weekend. With these two teams heading in opposite directions, and the Saints steadily returning to good health, there is little reason to expect Atlanta to keep pace, adding value to wagers on new Orleans to win and cover on Sunday afternoon.

Picks: Saints +14 (-116); OVER 51.5 (-110)

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