New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons odds, picks and predictions

Ethan Matthew | Sportsbook Wire

The New Orleans Saints (0-0) open their season at the Atlanta Falcons (0-0) in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Saints vs. Falconsodds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.

The Saints and Falcons split their series 1-1 last year. But they have had arguably diverting offseasons.

The Saints WR Michael Thomas , who missed the 2021 season with an ankle injury, is questionable. He said he is playing, though. QB Jameis Winston went 5-2 in 2021 before he, too, got injured and missed the rest of the season. But he will be ready for Week 1, and optimism is high in New Orleans. The Saints are +350 to win the division, and it's certainly possible if they can stay healthy.

The Falcons, on the other hand, traded their franchise QB Matt Ryan to the Colts after a 7-10 season. Former Raiders' backup Marcus Mariota will be under center to start the season, and their main pass catcher is TE Kyle Pitts, who in his rookie year had 1,026 yards with only 1 TD.

The Falcons still need more pieces to make an impact on this division. They are tied with the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans to have the worst record in the NFL at +600.

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Saints at Falcons odds

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Money line (ML): Saints -230 (bet $230 to win $100) | Falcons +190 (bet $100 to win $190)
Against the spread (ATS): Saints -4.5 (-115) | Falcons +4.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 43.5 (O: -103 | U: -117)

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Saints at Falcons key injuries

Saints

WR Michael Thomas (hamstring) questionable

Falcons

WR Drake London (knee) questionable

Saints at Falcons picks and predictions

Prediction

Saints 32, Falcons 17

Money line

In 2021, the Falcons went 0-4 as a home underdog. The Saints, on the flip side, were 4-1 as an away favorite. In the 7 games Winston started, he beat the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also boasted a 3-1 record on the road.

That being said, the current line is quite high. An alternate bet to consider is SAINTS 1ST QUARTER -0.5 (+102).

Against the spread

Last year the Falcons failed to cover in each of their 7 home games. Certainly we would like to see how the Falcons look with a new offense, but based on last season and the changes they made, they don't appear to have improved much, if at all.

Take the SAINTS -4.5 (-115).

Over/Under

Both games in 2021 went Over, and the Saints have gone Over for 8 straight years in Week 1.

LEAN OVER 43.5 (-103).

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