The New Orleans Saints (2-8) host the Atlanta Falcons (3-7) in an NFC South matchup on Sunday afternoon between two franchises more focused on next season. Both teams are significant longshots to make the postseason, even with Tampa Bay leading the division with just a 6-4 record. The Falcons have lost five straight games and turn to veteran Kirk Cousins after Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. The Saints are coming off a bye week following a 17-7 victory over the Panthers in rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s second start of the season. This is their first head-to-head matchup of the season.
Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. According to the latest NFL odds, the Saints are favored by 1.5 points, while the over/under for total points scored is 40.5. The Saints are -124 money line favorites (risk $124 to win $100), while the Falcons are +105 underdogs.Â
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Where to bet on Saints vs. Falcons
Where to watch Falcons vs. Saints on Sunday
When:Â Sunday, Nov. 23
Time:Â 4:25 p.m. ET
TV:Â FOX
Follow along:Â CBS Sports App
Saints vs. Falcons betting preview
Odds: Saints -1.5, over/under 41
It’s been a challenging week for Atlanta, which found out Michael Penix Jr. will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, and star wide receiver Drake London (knee) is out this week as well. Kirk Cousins will start, and the 37-year-old looked his age in his first start, completing 21 of 31 passes for 173 yards and no touchdowns in a 34-10 loss to the Dolphins in Week 8. Cousins has been a reliable starter for the majority of his NFL career, and the Falcons hope he has a few more of those performances left.Â
Expectations weren’t high for Kellen Moore in his first season as the New Orleans head coach, and although the Saints only have two victories, three of their eight losses have come in one-score contests, so they haven’t been totally outclassed. The Saints are favored for just the second time this season, and the only other time they were favored, New Orleans defeated the Giants, 26-14, on their home field. They’ll seek a similar result on Sunday, coming off just their second win of the season before a bye week.
Model’s Falcons vs. Saints score prediction, picks
The SportsLine Projection Model knows that the Falcons will rely on one of the best running back tandems in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, as the Falcons are 13th in the NFL in yards per rush (4.5). It also knows the Saints have a big-play receiver in Chris Olave, who had 104 yards and a touchdown in his last game against the Panthers and is 15th in the NFL at 664 receiving yards. The model has New Orleans winning by one point, but its top pick is the Over (39.5), as it is projecting 47 total points.Â
Falcons vs. Saints score prediction: Saints 24, Falcons 23
Falcons vs. Saints SGP
- Over 40.5 (-105)
- Tyler Shough Over 201.5 passing yards (-114)
- Tyler Shough Over 0.5 interceptions (-117)
Final odds: +405 (wager $100 to win $405)
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