Falcons vs Lions Odds: Are The Falcons Actually Good?

The Atlanta Falcons are 2-0 to begin the season. Who would’ve thought?

The Falcons are coming off a nail-biting win over the Green Bay Packers by a score of 25-24. They also added a win over the Carolina Panthers to begin the season.

Atlanta will look to continue its momentum on the road against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

The Lions are 1-1 but look much more competitive than in recent years. Detroit earned a win over the Chiefs and fell short against the Seahawks in a shootout.

Will the Lions hand the Falcons their first season loss on Sunday?

Check out the Falcons vs Lions odds for Sunday’s NFC matchup.

How Good Is Bijan Robinson?

The Atlanta Falcons drafted Bijan Robinson with their No. 1 pick and 8th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Tyler Allgeier rushed for over 1,000 yards last season on 210 carries. But the Falcons wanted someone even better.

They got their guy.

Bijan Robinson was the first running back selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. Before the NFL, he played for the Texas Longhorns and put up some sensational numbers.

The Falcons haven’t unleashed a full version of Robinson so far. But through two games, he’s rushed for 180 yards on 29 carries, which is 6.2 yards per carry.

Robinson has added at least a 19-yard run in his first two games and has caught ten more passes on 11 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons increased Robinson’s touches by nearly 50% from Game 1 to Game 2, which paid off.

Against the Packers, Robinson rushed for 124 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 19 carries. His longest rush was 19 yards, so he consistently got solid yardage on his carries for the Falcons.

Robinson is exactly what the Falcons needed and wanted.

What About Jahmyr Gibbs?

While the Falcons got Bijan Robinson, the Lions drafted the second-best running back in Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gibbs played for Georgia Tech but eventually transferred to Alabama, where he quickly made a name for himself.

Detroit added Gibbs with their first selection, which was 12th overall.

Detroit’s offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, told the media they plan to use Gibbs in areas we’ve never seen before.

So far, people are questioning those comments.

Gibbs has only earned 14 carries in two games and has averaged just 4.2 yards per carry. He saw seven catches on nine targets against the Seahawks last weekend but never had a catch go for more than seven yards.

For context, Robinson had 19 carries in Week 2 for the Falcons. However, Gibbs has only rushed 14 times throughout the first two weeks.

Many Lions fans and bettors hoped they’d display Gibbs a bit more. He hasn’t broken through with a play over 20 yards in the first two games.

However, Detroit’s David Montgomery is week-to-week and on the NFL injury report. Therefore, Gibbs could see more reps in this game against the Falcons.

The storyline of Robinson against Gibbs should be an enjoyable one.

Check out the Falcons vs Lions odds for this Week 3 matchup below.

Falcons vs Lions Odds

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions are three-point favorites at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the total is at 46.5.

The Falcons won their first two games of the season. However, they’ve only covered one of the NFL spreads. They were -3.5 against the Panthers and won that game 24-10 in the first game of the season. However, the Falcons are sitting at -3 against the Packers in Week 2 of the NFL season. Atlanta’s 1-point win wasn’t good enough to cover there.

Both games that the Falcons have played in set a total of 40.5. However, one game went under, and the other went over.

Meanwhile, the Lions are also 1-1 against the spread this season. Detroit added a 21-20 win as a four-point underdog against the Chiefs to begin the season. However, as a five-point favorite, Detroit lost to the Seahawks outright, 37-31 in a shootout.

The over and under each hit once in Detroit’s games, too.

The Lions have a much better offense through two games. Detroit’s watched Jared Goff throw for nearly 600 yards in two games. He’s also added four touchdowns and just one interception. The run game has been good with David Montgomery, but with his absence, he could even be better if the Lions let Gibbs do more in Week 3.

However, the Detroit defense has been terrible. The Lions continue to miss tackles, and the pass rush isn’t doing much this year. The lack of a push rush has also hurt the secondary’s performance. The coverage hasn’t been good.

The Lions have allowed 277 yards per game in the air, which doesn’t sound all that bad. But if the Chiefs didn’t drop so many passes in Week 1, that number would look different.

On the other hand, the Falcons don’t have a consistent passing game. Desmond Ridder and the Falcons have thrown for just 176 yards per game. The pass protection has been abysmal. So once the Falcons find themselves down in a game, it’ll be hard to claw back.

Atlanta has been fortunate enough to have leads. They can rely on Robinson and the running game for now. But eventually, that won’t be the case.

Atlanta’s defense is much better against the run despite allowing 119 yards per game, per the NFL team stats. However, the pass rush could be better for the Falcons moving forward.

The Falcons Won’t Keep Up This Time!

I know the Falcons came from behind against the Packers last weekend. But the passing game won’t be consistent from here on out.

Atlanta will have to rely on its running game and trust its run defense and coverage to come out of this game with a win.

It’s possible against the Lions. But there’s also a possibility that Detroit successfully throws the football against Atlanta. Amon-Ra St. Brown already has 12 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. He’s an elite receiver and one of many good ones that the Lions have rostered.

Meanwhile, Mack Hollins is the best receiver on the Falcons. He’s added six catches for 91 yards and leads the team through two games.

When you’ve got Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts, Mack Hollins shouldn’t lead the team in anything. Back the Lions at home against the spread at -3.

For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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