Sunday, January 1, 2017

The Georgia Dome

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The New Orleans Saints take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, January 1, 2017 at The Georgia Dome. The opening line for this game has Atlanta as 6.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 56. The Saints are 9-5-1 against the spread and their over/under record is 8-7-0. The Falcons have an over/under record of 12-2-1 and they are 10-5-0 against the spread.

Drew Brees finished with 299 yards through the air for New Orleans last week. He completed 23 passes out of 34 attempts for a 68% completion percentage. The Saints were led in rushing by Mark Ingram, who finished with 90 yards on 18 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 5 yards per carry. Brandin Cooks was the team leader in receiving with a total of 98 yards and 5 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 20 yards per reception. As a team in that game New Orleans got a total of 25 first downs. Of those first downs, 9 came on the ground while 15 came through the air. They ran 67 total plays for 417 yards for the game. The Saints ran for 123 yards on 31 attempts.

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Matt Ryan finished with 277 yards passing for Atlanta last week. He went 27 for 33, resulting in a 82% completion percentage. The Falcons were led on the ground by Tevin Coleman, who finished with 90 yards on 9 carries. He ended the game with an average of 10 yards per rush. Julio Jones led the team in receiving with 60 yards and 4 catches. He finished the game with an average of 15 yards per reception. Atlanta had 21 first downs total. 6 came from running the ball and 13 came from a pass. They ran 61 total plays for 408 yards for the contest. The Falcons ran for 152 yards on 24 carries as a team.

New Orleans scores 29 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 2nd in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 30 passes on 42 attempts for a 71% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 316 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 1st in the league. The Saints run for an average of 107 yards per game on 25 attempts for an average of 4.3 yards per carry. That ranks them 17th in the league. They also run 69 plays per contest and average 6.1 yards per play for an average of 423 yards per game, ranking their offense 1st overall this season. The Saints average 25 first downs per game which ranks them 1st in the NFL. They accumulate 59.9 penalty yards per game via 6.7 penalties, which ranks 13th in the league.

New Orleans allows 270 passing yards per game, ranking 30th, and they allow 28 points per contest on defense, which ranks 30th. They give up 23 completions on 36 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 64%. The Saints allow 99 rushing yards per game on 25 carries for an average of 4 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 13th in the NFL. New Orleans allows 369 total yards per game including 5.8 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 25th in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.3 penalties for 54.5 yards per game, ranking them 9th among NFL teams.

Atlanta averages 33 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 1st in the league. In the passing department, they complete 23 passes per game on 33 attempts for a 70% completion percentage. They throw for 293 yards through the air per game, ranking them 3rd. The Falcons run for an average of 119 yards per game on 27 attempts for an average of 4.4 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 7th on the ground. They also run 62 plays per game and average 6.7 yards per play for a total of 413 yards per game, ranking them 2nd in the league on offense. The Falcons get an average of 24 first downs per game, which ranks 2nd. They average 52.3 penalty yards per game via 6.3 penalties, ranking them 12th in the NFL.

Atlanta allows an average of 262 passing yards per game, which ranks 26th in the league. Their defense overall allows 25 points per contest, which has them ranked 25th. They give up 26 completions on 40 attempts for a completion percentage of 65% per game. The Falcons allow 103 rushing yards per contest on 23 carries for a 4.5 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 17th in the NFL. Atlanta allows 364 total yards per game for an average of 5.6 yards per play, which ranks 22nd in the league. They force 7.1 penalties for 60.3 yards in each contest, ranking 26th.

New Orleans Betting Trends

New Orleans is 8-7-0 against the over/under this season

New Orleans has an ATS record of 9-5-1 this season

Atlanta Betting Trends

Atlanta is 12-2-1 against the over/under this season

Atlanta has an ATS record of 10-5-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

New Orleans

12/25/16 FB John Kuhn Hip "?" Sunday vs. Atlanta
12/25/16 C Max Unger Foot "?" Sunday vs. Atlanta
12/24/16 CB Delvin Breaux Shoulder IR
12/20/16 LB Stephone Anthony Knee out for season
12/15/16 T Terron Armstead Leg IR
12/10/16 S Kenny Vaccaro Suspension expected to miss next 4 games
12/05/16 TE Josh Hill Fibula out for season
11/16/16 LB Michael Mauti Illness IR
11/08/16 LB James Laurinaitis Quad IR
10/12/16 DB Erik Harris ACL IR
09/29/16 DE Obum Gwacham Undisclosed IR
09/22/16 CB P.J. Williams Concussion IR
09/04/16 TE Michael Hoomanawanui Leg IR
08/31/16 CB Damian Swann Abdominal IR
08/31/16 LB Hau'oli Kikaha Knee PUP

Atlanta

12/25/16 TE Austin Hooper Knee "?" Sunday vs. New Orleans
12/25/16 LB De'Vondre Campbell Concussion "?" Sunday vs. New Orleans
12/16/16 S Kemal Ishmael Shoulder IR
11/27/16 CB Desmond Trufant Pectoral out for season
11/23/16 TE Jacob Tamme Shoulder IR
10/19/16 DE Derrick Shelby Calf IR
10/03/16 LB Sean Weatherspoon Achilles IR
09/02/16 WR Devin Fuller Shoulder IR

Tony's Pick: Take Atlanta -6.5

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