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The San Francisco 49ers will continue their two-game Southeast swing as they head to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Falcons. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a 49ers-Falcons prediction and pick.
The 49ers are coming off a 37-15 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 18 of his 30 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Also, Jeff Wilson Jr. rushed 17 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. Tevin Coleman returned to the 49ers, adding eight rushes for 23 yards with a touchdown and three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Aiyuk led all receivers with three receptions and 58 yards, while tight end George Kittle caught five passes for 57 yards. However, it was a relatively quiet night for Deebo Samuel. He caught two passes on nine targets for 20 yards, with one of them going for a touchdown.
The Falcons lost 21-15 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend. Marcus Mariota completed 14 of his 25 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 61 yards. Additionally, Tyler Allgeier rushed 13 times for 45 yards on a 3.5 yards-per-gain clip. Caleb Huntley added eight rushes for 34 yards. Also, Olamide Zaccheaus caught two passes for 39 yards with a touchdown, while Drake London caught four for 35 yards.
The 49ers lead the all-time series 47-31-1. However, they are 4-6 against the Falcons over the past 10 games. The teams met last December, with the 49ers prevailing 31-13. Garoppolo completed 18 of his 23 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Wilson rushed 21 times for 110 yards and a touchdown. Samuel caught four passes for 60 yards while rushing six times for 29 yards and a score. Likewise, Kittle caught six passes for 63 yards. Tight end Kyle Pitts played in that game for the Falcons, catching four passes for 77 yards.
Here are the 49ers-Falcons NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: 49ers-Falcons Odds
San Francisco 49ers: -4.5 (-110)
Atlanta Falcons: +4.5 (-110)
Over: 44.5 (-118)
Under: 44.5 (-104)
Why The 49ers Could Cover The Spread
The 49ers are the superior team with an elite roster. However, that roster will face a significant test this weekend. San Francisco lost cornerback Emmanuel Moseley for the season due to a torn ACL. Now, they must depend on oft-injured cornerback Jason Verrett to fill his spot. The starting defensive line sat out of Wednesday's practice; some are questionable to play. Arik Armstead will not play, while Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw, and Samson Ebukam are all questionable. Thus, the offense might have to compensate.
Garoppolo has a quarterback rating of 97.8 with five touchdowns and one interception in four games since taking over for the injured Trey Lance. Likewise, Wilson has rushed 74 times this season for 375 yards on a 75.0 yards-per-game clip. He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry and scored two rushing touchdowns. Additionally, Wilson has caught eight passes for 70 yards. Samuel has 20 receptions for 266 yards with two touchdowns and 21 rushes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Aiyuk has caught 17 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. Kittle has 11 receptions for 99 yards and is still searching for his first touchdown.
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The defense is the best in the league. Ultimately, they might play a lot of backups in this contest. Can the backups get the job done? The defense must continue to rise to the challenge.
The 49ers will cover the spread if the offense can score more runs. Significantly, Kyle Shanahan's offense has not looked great at times. They must do better in this one, as the defense will allow more opportunities.
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
Mariota has a 78.8 quarterback rating with 926 yards, four passing touchdowns, and four interceptions. Additionally, he has rushed 37 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He needs weapons, and Pitts has not played recently. Moreover, Cordarrelle Patterson suffered an injury a couple of weeks ago, and the Falcons have shuffled running backs since then.
Allgeier has rushed 39 times for 184 yards at a 4.71 yards-per-carry clip. Meanwhile, Pitts has caught 10 passes for 150 yards but is still looking for his first touchdown. London has caught 22 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Now, the rookie receiver hopes to continue to make an impact against a wounded but tough defense.
The Falcons are incredibly shaky on defense. However, they have one excellent pass rusher. Grady Jarrett has 3.5 sacks this year. Thus, expect him to attempt to make an impact.
The Falcons will cover the spread if they can score against a wounded defense. Likewise, they must also keep the 49ers from running the ball.
Final 49ers-Falcons Prediction & Pick
The 49ers would win by 15 in normal circumstances. However, their entire defensive line is hurting right now. Expect the 49ers to find a way to win, but it will not be pretty. The 49ers will win, but the Falcons will cover the spread.
Final 49ers-Falcons Prediction & Pick: Atlanta Falcons: +4.5 (-110)
