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The Atlanta Falcons will take on the Miami Dolphins in the second week of the preseason on Saturday afternoon. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Falcons-Dolphins prediction and pick.
The Falcons are coming off of a brutal loss to the Tennessee Titans in the first week of the preseason. Atlanta certainly showed their rust on offense, as they posted three points and 52 passing yards throughout the entire game. Miami didn't look nearly as poor in their preseason debut, but they still walked away with a loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Both teams will be looking for improvements across the board as they begin to trim their rosters down.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Saturday's game.
NFL Odds: Falcons-Dolphins Odds
Atlanta Falcons +5 (-110)
Miami Dolphins -5 (-110)
Over 37 points (-110)
Under 37 points (-110)
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Why The Falcons Could Win
It's nearly impossible for Atlanta's quarterbacks to play as poorly as they did in their first preseason appearance. AJ McCarron is an experienced backup who has proven that he can play at a high level relative to most of the other players on the field in a preseason game. He should be able to give the Falcons some solid play and some points at the start of the game before giving way to Feleipe Franks.
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One of the bright spots of the last week's game was the play of Atlanta's secondary. The Titans were held to 138 passing yards, which is pretty good when considering the fact that Tennessee dominated time of possession and field position the entire game. The Falcons have plenty of young talent on the back end that should continue to get preseason snaps, as players like Kendall Sheffield, Isaiah Oliver, and Richie Grant need to shake out their spots on the depth chart before the season begins. Miami's receiving weapons are far from intimidating, so this secondary should put together another solid performance.
Why The Dolphins Could Win
Miami hasn't given any indication as to who may start this game, but it's safe to assume that Tua Tagovailoa will play a couple of drives before the backups take the field. Tagovailoa's interception was what made the highlight reels after his last outing, but he played great football before throwing that pick. The Alabama product should be able to orchestrate a couple of scoring drives before being pulled from the lineup.
The Dolphins should be able to maintain good offensive play even when Tagovailoa comes out of the lineup. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett has seen plenty of starting experience in the NFL, and he's one of the more reliable backups in all of football. He played well last week, and it's fair to expect a repeat performance here. Almost any second-string defense is overmatched when Brissett steps on the field.
Speaking of second-string defenses, Miami fields great depth all across that side of the ball. The Dolphins have five players in the secondary alone who will contend for a starting spot at some point in the season. All of those players will see extended snaps in this game as they try to prove they're worthy of first-string consideration, and they should play well against an Atlanta offense that looked like they belonged back in college in week one.
Final Falcons-Dolphins Prediction & Pick
While the Dolphins should win this game, the spread is a little intimidating. A five-point favorite is a tough bet to place confidently in the preseason, so the under turns into the best pick. Hardly any game cracked 37 points last week, and Atlanta is coming off of a three-point offensive performance. The under should cash easily.
FINAL PICK: Under 37 points (-110)
