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The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions will square off in NFL Preseason action on Friday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our Falcons-Lions prediction and pick we have laid out below.
For the first time in over a decade, Atlanta will not have Matt Ryan as their starting quarterback. Atlanta is coming off a 7-10 record in head coach Arthur Smith's first season. A lot of turnover on the roster, including a new face at quarterback, makes Atlanta a must-watch this preseason.
Detroit went a lowly 3-13-1 last season, securing the second pick in the draft. Head coach Dan Campbell is set to become even more of a viral sensation thanks to Hard Knocks, and some interesting personalities make this team intriguing. Still, Detroit may be a while from contending, but at least they'll be entertaining on Hard Knocks!
Here are the Falcons-Lions NFL Preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Reds-Cubs Odds
Atlanta Falcons: -1 (-110)
Detroit Lions: +1 (-110)
Over: 35.5 (-110)
Under: 35.5 (-110)
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
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Atlanta has a new face at quarterback, with either Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder taking over for Matt Ryan. Either way, both will see significant time this preseason. First-round pick Drake London is a great target for whoever wins the quarterback competition. London paired with Kyle Pitts, who last year totaled 1,028 receiving yards, should make a lethal 1-2 punch. Cordarrelle Patterson led the team with 618 rushing yards, and added 548 receiving yards, crossing the end zone 11 times in 2021. This is an offense in need of an injection, as they managed just 18.4 points per game last season. Adding London, combined with Pitts and Patterson, is a nice landing spot for whichever quarterback wins the starting job.
Defensively, Atlanta was not much better. The team surrendered 27 points per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league. Deion Jones, who was second on the team with 137 tackles last season, is back and will be paired with second-rounder Troy Andersen. Andersen started his college career playing running back, linebacker, and quarterback before settling on linebacker. Andersen notched 147 tackles last season, second in the FCS. The team managed just 18 sacks, so this preseason is key to finding a consistent pass rush.
Why The Lions Could Cover The Spread
Detroit has a solid quarterback in Jared Goff. While Goff may not be the long-term answer, he is more than just a capable placeholder. The team's confidence in Goff was cemented when they did not draft a quarterback in April. Instead, Jameson Williams, who is out for at least Week 1, was picked with their second first-round pick to give Goff a weapon. Jamal Williams and D'Andre Swift combined for over 1,200 yards on the ground last season. Amon-Ra St. Brown returns after leading the team with 90 catches and 912 yards in his rookie season. St. Brown and a healthy Williams are a good combo for Goff to look for.
The defense was…yikes. Detroit surrendered 27.5 points per game, the second-worst mark in 2021. To address those inefficiencies, two of the first three draft picks made by Detroit were spent on defensive players. In all, six of the team's eight draft picks were defensive players. Aidan Hutchison and Josh Pascal should inject life into a pass rush that totaled a respectable 30 sacks last season. Defensive playmakers are still being sought, as this team managed just 11 interceptions last year.
Final Falcons-Lions Prediction & Pick
This matchup features some key positional battles for each team, but let's give the nod to the Hard Knocks cameras.
Final Falcons-Lions Prediction & Pick: Detroit +1 (-110), under 35.3 (-110)
