Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Betting Odds, Prediction, & Pick
Falcons vs. Eagles Odds
| Falcons Odds | +5.5 |
| Eagles Odds | -5.5 |
| Over/Under | 45.5 |
| Date | Monday, September 16th |
| Time | 8:15 PM ET |
| TV | ESPN |
A chaotic Week 2 of NFL action will wrap up on Monday Night Football with a matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will try to improve to 2-0 after a 34-29 victory over the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to open their season. Kirk Cousins is still looking for his first win with his new team.
Ahead of kickoff, oddsmakers have priced the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites on the spread. The total is set at 45.5 points.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
According to The Athletic, Atlanta will be playing on Monday Night Football for the first time since 2020. They are completely healthy on the offensive side of the ball but will be without LB Nate Landman, who had 6 tackles and played 37 snaps for the team in Week 1. Philadelphia is no stranger to prime time, with this being their second such game in as many weeks to open the new campaign.
Atlanta Falcons Preview
Can Cousins overcome primetime struggles?
In 13 Monday Night Football games, Kirk Cousins is 3-10. Across the board, his numbers are slightly worse on Monday than they are the rest of the week – including his passing yards per game, yards per attempt, completion percentage, passer rating, and EPA/attempt.
Of course, the league tries to schedule competitive teams to play one another in standalone television spots, so Cousins is often playing the best-of-the-best in these situations, which can partly explain his dropoff in production. That being said, it’s difficult to see Cousins improving on his negative primetime splits in this spot, being that it’s only his second game since coming off of an Achilles injury.
Cousins struggled mightily in his Atlanta debut against the Steelers. He finished the weekend ranked 27th in EPA/play, 27th in passing yards, 23rd in completion rate, and 35th in turnover-worthy play% out of 36 quarterbacks to attempt a pass in Week 1. He has a tough task playing on the road against a talented Philadelphia defense.
Concern for Atlanta’s pass rush?
In Week 1, Atlanta’s defense ranked 29th out of 32 teams in pressure rate. Even the best pass rushes in the NFL are not immune to a bad week, but the Falcons’ inability to get pressure in their season opener was particularly concerning because they faced Justin Fields, who had the 2nd-slowest average time to throw in the league over the weekend. An inability to get pressure on the quarterback is even more notable, given that the team lost Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree from this unit – both of whom led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2023. Even bringing in Matthew Judon from New England, it’s difficult to replace 13 sacks and 69 pressures.
Jalen Hurts is one of the better quarterbacks in the league when it comes to avoiding sacks. Atlanta’s defense could have a long night this evening if they are unable to make Hurts uncomfortable.
Philadelphia Eagles Preview
AJ Brown (hamstring) ruled OUT
Philadelphia’s leading receiver, AJ Brown, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, but there is still plenty of talent left on the offensive side of the ball for this team. Star quarterback Jalen Hurts is joined by one of the best running backs in the league in Saquon Barkley, both of which benefit from a top-tier offensive line blocking for them. Even without Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jahan Dotson are a capable group of pass catchers.
The Eagles offense ranked 8th in success rate in Week 1 despite playing a tough Packers defense. Even without Brown on the field, this is a talented group that should be able to find success against a mediocre Atlanta defense.
Philadelphia defense returning to full strength
After missing Week 1 due to injury, the Eagles will return star CB Isaiah Rodgers to the field on Monday night. Rodgers worked primarily with Philadelphia’s first-team defense opposite Darius Slay during the summer. According to local media, Rodgers had a strong training camp after missing all of 2023 due to suspension. In 2022, Rodgers finished as the 5th-best player at his position, per PFF grading, so this is a notable player to return to the field.
LB Devin White also logged a full practice and is expected to be back on the field in Week 2. White is Philadelphia’s third linebacker, playing a reserve role behind Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun – both of whom played well in the team’s season opener.
The Eagles defense ranked 13th in success rate in Week 1 but only 25th in EPA/play, which indicates that they were relatively effective on a down-to-down basis but were vulnerable to big plays. The return of Rodgers, coupled with added depth at linebacker, should help shore up some of those mistakes this evening.
Falcons vs. Eagles Prediction
After one week of football, on the surface, it seems as though the Falcons are destined to miss the playoffs and the Eagles are a runaway favorite to win the NFC East. That being said, Atlanta’s defense should be able to keep them competitive in games most weeks. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are obviously a more difficult assignment than Justin Fields and the Steelers, but Atlanta still boasts one of the better safety tandems in the NFL and their run defense should be somewhat competent.
If Atlanta’s defense can limit explosive plays this evening, there is a path for them to cover a touchdown spread. The Falcons offense is likely to be improved in Week 2, with Cousins now back into the swing of live game action and the team’s leadership (hopefully) not tipping their plays again.
Kirk Cousins probably isn’t live as an underdog on Monday, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see this be a competitive game.
PICK: Falcons +6 (-123, “DraftKings”)
DRAFTKINGSImage Credit: Getty Images