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Monday Night Football Predictions: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

by Mike Allen - 9/12/2024

Monday Night Football picks Atlanta Falcons Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts

The Atlanta Falcons come into this season with high expectations. They signed Captain Kirk Cousins to a big deal. Dual-threat running back Bijan Robinson is back for his sophomore season. The offensive line rates as one of the best in the league. Last week, The home Falcons were favored to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by four points. The Falcons’ offense barely managed double-digits in the 18-10 loss.

The Eagles played the first-ever NFL game in Brazil last week. Saquon Barkley was the star with three total touchdowns, but it was the defense that looked a notch better than the unit Philly had out there toward the end of last season.

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Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles Betting Odds

Falcons: +6.5

Philadelphia: -6.5

The betting line for our Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup opened at just (-4) for the home Eagles. Both the public and the pros liked Philadelphia at that price. Most wagers are made right before the game. So, if you want to take the Eagles (-6.5), it may pay to get that bet in by Monday night.

Moneyline

Falcons: +245

Eagles: -305

Point Spread

Over 47: -110

Under 47: -110

This betting line hasn't shifted very much since it opened. Bettors are mostly taking the under, though, and there's good reason why. Kirk Cousins not only put up a pitiful stat line throwing for only 155 yards with two picks, but the eye test was worse.

Cousins could barely plant to throw off of that repaired Achilles tendon. He doesn't seem ready, and this should serve as a lesson to all of us. Older players coming off major surgeries should prove themselves again before we trust them with our money.

Falcons at Eagles Betting Analysis

It may have felt like Jordan Love and the Packers were efficient against the Philadelphia Eagles secondary on Friday night, but they really weren't. Take away the 70-yard touchdown reception from Jayden Reed, and Philly held Love to a sub-200-yard passing game with less than a 50% completion percentage and an interception.

I thought the Eagles defense looked great under new coordinator Vic Fangio. The defensive line was pushed around by the Pack. Where is Fletcher Cox when you need him? He is one of two future Hall of Famers the Eagles lost to retirement over the offseason. Center Jason Kelce also called it quits. These are major losses, but retirement generally means you’re getting an upgrade at the position. However, the leadership/locker room presence they lost can’t be ignored.

We know the Falcons' defense was good in Week 1. They were on the field for nearly 37 minutes and only allowed 18 points against a well-coached team. The Atlanta offense may have given up four sacks, but the defense got all of them back.

Over the past five years, primetime games have been famous for going under the total 60% of the time. Okay, let's take the clock back another seven years to when Cousins entered the NFL. He is 12-22 in his career playing at night. Compare that to his 66-49-2 record otherwise, and the trend cannot be disregarded.

In the fight game, we always say that Father Time is undefeated. We also know that many times, there's a difference between an athlete's true age and the mileage they have accrued on their body. Cousins is only 36, but he is coming up on his 150th start in the NFL. I won't say he's washed, but watch some of those side-by-side YouTube videos yourself, and you will see his lower body mechanics are failing due to his aging body.

Falcons at Eagles Betting Pick

The under 47 points was set to be the pick. However, the deeper we dug, the more I realized that the Eagles are the side. Some will stay away, saying it's a shame we didn't get in on the look-ahead betting line, but not us. We are happy to get this thing under a touchdown.

The Eagles turned the ball over three times against the Pack and still thoroughly outplayed/outscored them over the final 40 minutes. With the addition of Barkley, this offense is already one of the league's best.

Pick: Eagles (-6.5)

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