The Atlanta Falcons will travel to take on the New York Jets in NFL preseason action on Monday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL preseason odds series, which includes our Falcons-Jets prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Falcons enter the season with a new starting quarterback for the first time in over a decade. Gone are the days of Matt Ryan, leaving after a 7-10 record in 2021. Atlanta has suffered through some lean years recently, and it may be time for a rebuild.
The Jets have ruined the lives of their fan base for many falls counting now. Any glimmer of hope is usually coupled with crippling and quizzical debacles. This preseason is no different, as second-year quarterback Zach Wilson had to undergo knee surgery after the first game.
Here are the Falcons-Jets NFL preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Falcons-Jets Odds
Atlanta Falcons: -2.5 (-110)
New York Jets: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 39 (-110)
Under: 39 (-110)
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
Atlanta will task Marcus Mariota with taking the quarterback reins in 2022. While likely a placeholder until rookie Desmond Ridder is ready, Mariota has enjoyed a successful career. Mariota has tossed 77 touchdowns in 74 career games, adding 13 rushing touchdowns as well. Ridder saw some time in the first preseason game, still working out some kinks early in his career. Ridder completed just 10 of his 22 passes, but did throw two touchdowns in his preseason debut.
Cordarrelle Patterson, the human Swiss Army Knife, is back after totaling over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns for Atlanta in 2021. Sensational tight end Kyle Pitts is also back after leading the team with 1,026 receiving yards last season.
Atlanta's defense struggled mightily in 2021, allowing 27 points per game. Still, there is hope for resurgence from this group. Lorenzo Carter was acquired in the offseason, bringing with him 14.5 sacks in 49 career games. The team's second-leading tackler, Deion Jones, is also back after registering an impressive 137 tackles in 2021. Atlanta is desperate for any resemblance of a pass rush, as the defense registered just 18 sacks in 2021. Three of the team's top four draft picks were made on defensive players.
Why The Jets Could Cover The Spread
Ah, the New York Jets. Just when things seem to be going right, they go wrong yet again. Zach Wilson was captivating the fan base for both his on-field and off-field performances. Then, Wilson went down with a bum knee in the preseason opener.
At least Joe Flacco is still around! Flacco is a capable backup at this point in his career and should hold Wilson's spot until the youngster returns. Breece Hall has impressed at training camp, so look for the second-round pick to have a big role the rest of the preseason. For once, the Jets actually have weapons for their quarterback. Braxton Berrios broke out in a big way in 2021, and Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, and Elijah Moore are other strong targets. 2022 first-rounder Garrett Wilson enjoyed a brilliant career at Ohio State and should see some early targets from Flacco and/or Wilson.
We don't have to take much time digging into the Jets' defense. The group was worst in the league at keeping opponents off the scoreboard. The team struggled mightily to create turnovers, picking off just seven passes. A lot of time and resources were spent this offseason to right this issue, but only time will tell.
Final Falcons-Jets Prediction & Pick
I think the absence of Wilson will hurt this team even more than had originally been anticipated.
Final Falcons-Jets Prediction & Pick: Atlanta -2.5 (-110), over 39 (-110)
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