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The Atlanta Falcons will put their perfect start on the line when they travel to face the Detroit Lions in their first road game. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Falcons-Lions prediction and pick.
The Falcons are fresh off a come from behind victory over the Green Bay Packers on their home turf, thanks in part to the running of rookie RB Bijan Robinson and some gusty calls from their head coach Arthur Smith. Robinson ran for an impressive 124 yards on 19 carries in the win, and added 48 yards on four grabs in the receiving game. The defense also held the Packers scoreless in the fourth quarter after sitting two scores back for most of the second half. They were able to make the crucial plays on both sides of the ball to end it, but will try to avoid falling behind against Goff and an electric Lions offense.
Detroit is coming off of a disappointing overtime loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, falling 37-31 to Geno Smith and co. They had exciting momentum after taking down the reigning champion Chiefs in Week 1, but fell at home in their second contest despite out-gaining the opponent. They were unable to stop Seattle on crucial fourth quarter touchdown drives, and were narrowly able to force OT with a field goal at the end of regulation. They will look to rebound from the loss with their second home game.
The Lions lead the all-time series 25-14, and the team's have gone back and forth in each of the last five matchups since 2012. The Falcons won the last meeting on their home turf in 2021, and also won the last meeting in Detroit in 2017. They will look to channel some similar success today in what figures to be a close game on the road.
Here are the Falcons-Lions NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Falcons-Lions Odds
Atlanta Falcons: +3 (-105)
Detroit Lions: -3 (-115)
Over: 46.5 (-112)
Under: 46.5 (-108)
How to Watch Falcons vs. Lions Week 3
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTube TV, YouTube Prime Time)
Time: 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
The Atlanta Falcons will need to continue feeding Bijan Robinson the rock with as many touches as possible. Coming off of 19 rushes and 23 total, he will look to carry the load again on Sunday after opposing defenses have had little answer to his skillset.
They have the benefit of facing a banged up Lions team, who is dealing with injuries to star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson. St. Brown figures to play but could be less than 100% with a toe issue. On the other side, Gardner-Johnson is done for the season after tearing his pec last week, a major loss for one of the top DB's who just joined the team in the offseason. Atlanta will try to exploit these weaknesses, especially on offense.
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread
The Detroit Lions are looking to overcome their overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and will rely largely on their offense to outscore the Falcons at Ford Field on Sunday. The Lions have many key weapons that they will try and rotate the ball to, and it will be on Jared Goff to distribute to the open man. He has done well so far this season, throwing for nearly 600 yards in two games and adding four touchdowns to just one interception. If they can continue to play mistake free, they should be able to score enough against this young Atlanta team that is still figuring it out.
The Lions will need to get the ball to Jahmyr Gibbs on offense as much as possible. The rookie is a lightning rod out of the backfield, especially in the receiving game. The Lions know this, and have ramped up his touches after he was largely ineffective in the first game. He caught seven passes last week, matching his rushing total and increasing his usability that throws another wrinkle at opposing defenses. He is listed to get 3.5 receptions by FanDuel Sportsbook this week, and if the Lions want to have a chance at a win, feeding him on swing passes will be essential.
Final Falcons-Lions Prediction & Pick
The Atlanta Falcons will keep it close against Goff and the Lions, covering the +3 spread and having a strong chance to win the game outright. Despite going on the road for the first time, it is hard to go against the new look Falcons offense, who has been able to move the ball efficiently with the help of budding superstar Bijan Robinson. While the Lions are loaded with talent of their own, they have been dealt some serious injury blows on the defensive side, and are still trying to put everything together. Take the Falcons here with the extra points, especially after this line has come down from +5 in many spots with serious steam on Atlanta.
Final Falcons-Lions Prediction & Pick: Atlanta Falcons +3 (-105)
