Atlanta Falcons Odds

Falcons Week 18 inactives:

G Elijah Wilkinson

TE Feleipe Franks

CB Rashad Fenton

OLB David Anenih

DL Jalen Dalton

S Micah Abernathy

The Falcons have opened as a four point underdog for their Week 18 game against the Buccaneers. Neither team has much to play for, with Tampa Bay having already clinched the NFC South and Atlanta eliminated from postseason contention. Desmond Ridder will get his fourth consecutive start, having lost the first two before winning last week against the Cardinals. The Over/Under is 40.5.

Falcons Week 17 inactives against the Cardinals:

OL Elijah Wilkinson

TE Feleipe Franks

CB Rashad Fenton

S Micah Abernathy

LB David Anenih

DL Matt Dickerson

Notable Desmond Ridder props for Week 17 against the Cardinals:

171.5 passing yards (Over -115/Under -115)

0.5 passing touchdowns (Over -280/Under +200)
0.5 interceptions (Over +125/Under -165)

Anytime TD (+295)

Ridder had a solid outing in his second career start, facing a strong Baltimore defense. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 218 yards without turning the ball over, and was sacked twice against the Ravens’ dominant pass rush. Ridder has played mostly mistake-free football over his first two starts, and now he will get an easy matchup this Sunday against the Cardinals. Arizona’s defense ranks second to last in red zone defense, and they are particularly susceptible to the run, ranking 27th in rush DVOA. They are allowing the second most points per play and second most penalties per game of any NFL defense. Ridder will start opposite David Blough, who hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2020. 

The Falcons are a four point favorite heading into their Week 17 matchup against Arizona. After losing four straight games, the Falcons were eliminated from the playoffs this past Sunday. They trail Tampa Bay by two games heading into the final two weeks of the season, but Tampa owns the tiebreaker. They also lose the tiebreaker to Carolina, who is one game ahead of them in the standings. Atlanta’s offense has struggled since turning to rookie Desmond Ridder at quarterback. They haven’t scored 20 points in a game for four straight weeks, although it should be a fairly easy matchup this Sunday against Arizona. The Cardinals will start either Trace McSorley or Colt McCoy at quarterback, with Kyler Murray out for the season due to an ACL injury.

The Over/Under is 41. Atlanta games have gone under nine times this season, including each of the last four weeks and six of their last seven games. Arizona games have also been trending under since Kyler Murray tore his ACL in Week 14. 

Falcons inactives for Week 16 against the Ravens: 

S Jovante Moffatt

CB Rashad Fenton

DL Matt Dickerson

OLB David Anenih

OL Chuma Edoga

Notable Desmond Ridder props for his second career start in Baltimore:

137.5 passing yards (Over -110/Under -110)

0.5 passing touchdowns (Over -135/Under +100)

0.5 interceptions (Over -120/Under -110)

29.5 rushing yards (Over -105/Under -125)

Anytime TD (+470)

Ridder faces a tall task in his second NFL start, against a surging Baltimore defense and extremely cold temperatures. The Falcons rookie quarterback struggled in his debut, completing just 50 percent of his passes for 97 yards and no touchdowns. He did not turn the ball over, but Atlanta kept the ball on the ground for most of the game. Baltimore’s defense is allowing the third fewest yards per rush in the league, which means the Falcons could be enticed to through the ball more against their secondary, which ranks 16th against the pass according to PFF.

The Falcons-Ravens game in Baltimore is expected to feature extremely cold weather and has the lowest Over/Under of any Week 16 game, at 34.5 points. Atlanta is a 6.5 point underdog against the Ravens, who are expected to start Tyler Huntley at quarterback with Lamar Jackson still sidelined due to injury. The Ravens have scored just 29 total points over their last three games. The Falcons offense has also stalled recently, with Desmond Ridder ineffective in his first NFL start last week at New Orleans.

Notable Desmond Ridder props for his first career start this Sunday in New Orleans:

167.5 passing yards (Over -110/Under -120)

Longest completion 31.5 yards (Over -120/Under -110)

24.5 rushing yards (Over -125/Under -109)

Anytime TD (+320)

Ridder will make his NFL debut against a Saints defense which ranks 29th in rushing the opposing quarterback. It should be a manageable task for Ridder, considering he will not face too much pressure, and the Saints defense ranks in the lower half of the league in points per play. With Marcus Mariota under center, the Falcons averaged just 155.7 passing yards per game, second lowest in the NFL ahead of only Chicago. Ridder’s projected passing yardage total is already higher than Mariota’s average for the season, despite this being his first career start. These teams met in Week 1, with New Orleans allowing 215 passing yards and 201 yards on the ground. 

The Falcons are listed as a four point underdog ahead of their game at New Orleans on Sunday. This marks Desmond Ridder’s first career NFL start, as the rookie third round pick has taken the reins from Marcus Mariota, who is expected to be placed on season-ending injured reserve. With Mariota under center, Atlanta averaged just 155.7 passing yards per game, second lowest in the NFL ahead of only the Bears. Ridder will look to elevate the offense against a Saints team which has held their opponent under 20 points in four straight games. New Orleans is just 5-8 against the spread this season.

The Over/Under is listed at 43.5. The under has hit in five out of New Orleans’ last six games, and four out of the Falcons last five. It is generally harder to project a point total when one of the game’s starting quarterbacks has never taken an NFL snap, but these teams have been trending under since Week 9.