Getty Matthew Stafford stands in the pocket against Atlanta in 2017.
The Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons both scored huge victories over the weekend, but one may have counted more than the other in terms of the oddsmakers and their feelings about Week 7.
This week, though the Lions are 2-3 and seem to have temporarily saved their season with a commanding albeit hollow win, they remain steady underdogs in the opening lines for this coming weekend to the Falcons. Though Atlanta fired their coach and general manager, they bounced back with a huge win against the Minnesota Vikings to score their first victory of the season.
Now, according to BetOnline.ag, the Falcons are early 3 point favorites against the Lions as they return back home for action this coming week.
The Lions open as 3-point underdogs at Atlanta next weekend, per @betonline_ag.
This contest will pit a pair of teams that have been allergic to leads in 2020, so it probably makes sense that the early line is extremely small. Betting on either the Lions or Falcons to close out a game this season seems to be a losing proposition, so it will be interesting to see how the game plays out when it does happen.
Atlanta bounced back with a big win in Week 6, and may have got their offense back on track. This game represents a huge challenge to the Lions, who had a big win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Still, the Falcons are a much better opponent than the Jaguars are even in spite of their early season struggles.
When all is said and done, somebody is going to have to win this game. Right now, the early line seems to think the Falcons are the best bets to do just that.
Lions Series History vs. Falcons
The Lions haven’t played the Falcons since the 2017 season. That year, Detroit lost a heartbreaker at Ford Field early in the season on a last second play and a clock runoff. The frustration of that game still lingers for the Lions, who were sunk by losses just like that in that year and didn’t make the playoffs even at 9-7.
As a whole, the Lions hold a 24-13 series edge between the teams historically, but Atlanta has won 4 out of the last 5 games between the sides dating back to 2008. The only loss in that stretch was a nail biter in London in 2014 which Detroit won by a field goal late.
Obviously, the Falcons have recent history on their side to rely on in this matchup.
Lions Second Half Schedule
Detroit started off on their second half push with a big win Sunday, and their schedule could be the major reason they could make a quick run forward in the weeks ahead and get back over .500. Not only do the Lions play Atlanta, they take on the Colts, Vikings, Washington, Panthers and Texans coming up. That’s the type of schedule a team can gear up for a run with should they find some consistency.
The run has to continue this week, or the Lions will be back to square one. At this point, they aren’t favored to be able to keep the winning going in Atlanta.
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