Falcons vs Cardinals Picks ATS & Predictions 10/13/2019

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons head to State Farm Stadium on Sunday where they'll take on the Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta opens this contest as 3-point favorites. The over/under opens at 46.5. The Falcons are 1-4-0 ATS and 2-3-0 when betting on the total. The Cardinals are 3-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-3-1 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Atlanta Falcons went up against the Houston Texans and lost 53-32. Running the show from under center for the Falcons was Matt Ryan who went 32/46 with 330 yards through the air and tossed 3 touchdowns. He walked away with 1 interception during the game. Devonta Freeman paced the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 21 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He scurried for 30 yards by way of 11 carries which meant he was running for 2.7 yards per tote. Calvin Ridley was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 88 yards on 5 catches. He notched an average of 17.6 yards per catch for the game. The Atlanta Falcons ran the ball 20 times and earned a total of 57 yards giving them an average of 2.9 yards per carry. On the day, the Falcons totaled 22 1st downs and they totaled 7 penalties for 63 yards. Overall, they finished with a total of 68 plays for a total of 373 yards. When discussing the defense, Atlanta allowed 28 completions on 33 attempts for a total of 426 yards, and a completion percentage of 85.0%. On the ground, the Falcons allowed 166 yards on 34 attempts which gave them an average of 4.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they allowed 592 yards and forced 1 turnover. Another matchup you may want to look into is the free NFL pick from Guy Bruhn on the Panthers vs Bucs contest.

Falcons End Up at 1-4 After Loss

The Falcons come into this matchup with a record of 1-4 this season. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the league averaging 20 points per contest, putting them 20th among all NFL teams. As a team, they are averaging 68 rushing yards per contest which is 4th in the NFC. For total yardage, they currently sit at 4th in the conference and 8th among all NFL teams with 1,904 yards. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, the Falcons currently have a total of 11 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns. They are a team that struggles to put points on the board in the NFC South and they will have to really have a good night if they want to have a good offensive game.

The Falcons have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, allowing 30.4 points per contest putting them 16th in the conference. When it comes to rushing yards, Atlanta is allowing 120.8 yards per contest which has them at 3rd in the NFC South and 19th in the NFL. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.0 yards per rush ranking them 7th among NFC teams and 11th in the NFL overall. In total, they have conceded 338 rushing yards through 5 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Falcons have conceded 1,287 yards. Teams are completing 71.0% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 8.0 yards per try. They have conceded 12 passing touchdowns and 6 rushing touchdowns.

In their last game, the Arizona Cardinals went up against the Cincinnati Bengals and earned the win by a score of 26-23. Kyler Murray led the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 24 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 93 yards on 10 carries which meant he was running for 9.3 yards per tote. David Johnson was the receiving yardage leader by earning 65 yards on 3 receptions. He averaged 21.7 yards per reception for that game. Running the show from under center for the Cardinals was Kyler Murray who went 20/32 with 253 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Take a look where the Cardinals rank in our Week 6 NFL power rankings. The Arizona Cardinals ran the ball 38 times and added 266 yards giving them an average of 7.0 yards per rush. On the day, the Cardinals racked up a total of 26 1st downs and they totaled 12 infractions for 96 yards. For the game, they ran 71 plays for 514 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Arizona allowed 27 completions on 38 throws totaling 262 yards, and a completion percentage of 71.0%. Against the run, the Cardinals allowed 108 yards on 23 tries which gave them an average of 4.7 yards per attempt allowed. Overall, they allowed a total of 370 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers.

Cardinals Go to 1-3-1 After Win

The Cardinals head into this matchup 1-3-1. In discussing the offensive production, the Cardinals leave a lot to be desired in terms of scoring in the league. In discussing their scoring prowess, the Cardinals are ranked 4th in the division and 21st out of all the teams in the league averaging 20.0 points per game. Arizona has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 127 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 11th in the NFL. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 634 rushing yards through 5 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the league. The Cardinals average 364 yards per contest overall putting them 16th among NFL teams and 9th in the conference.

The Cardinals are allowing 27.6 points per contest which puts them at 4th in the division and 28th among NFL teams. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 138 points in total. In regard to yards on the ground, they are conceding 139 yards per game ranking them 27th in the league and 4th in the division. In 2019, they have conceded a total of 694 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middling groups in the league. They are allowing 269 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Cardinals sit in 11th in the NFC. They have allowed 12 passing touchdowns for this season.

Who will win tonight's Falcons/Cardinals NFL game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Falcons -3

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