NFC Wildcard Betting Preview & Pick- Atlanta at Los Angeles
The backend of this Saturday’s NFL Wildcard Round doubleheader should be a doozy. The 10-6 Atlanta Falcons head to the West Coast to face the 11-5 Los Angeles Rams in an 8:15 p.m. start on NBC from Memorial Coliseum.
BetAnySports opened the Rams as 4.5-point favorites with the total set at 49 points. The line is now LA as a 6-point favorite and the total has dropped to 48.
Reigning NFC Champs had to Fight for NFC Wildcard Life
The Falcons needed that 10th straight-up win of the year to secure the final playoff spot in the NFC. The fact that they are still the defending conference champion, they could be one of the more interesting betting teams in this year’s NFL playoffs. Atlanta was not a solid betting option in the regular season. They went 7-9 against the spread. On the road is where it went awry as they were 2-6 ATS. They did cover in the only two games it closed as an underdog. Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan did not turn in one of his best performances this season throwing the ball. It was still good enough for the Falcons to end the year ranked eighth in the league in average passing yards per game with 249.4. Julio Jones caught 88 passes for 1,444 yards, but he was only on the receiving end of three throws for touchdowns.Rams Take NFL’s Top Offense Into NFC Wildcard Weekend
Los Angeles decided to go with Sean McVay as its new head coach following a four-win season in 2016. The move has paid immediate dividends. This year’s sudden turnaround to a SU 11-5 record while going 9-7 ATS is astounding. The Rams won the NFC West Division title for the first time since 2003. They went 6-4 ATS as favorites this season. The total went OVER or ended as a PUSH in 11 of the 16 games overall. The emergence of Jared Goff as a big-time NFL quarterback was huge. The revitalized effort of Todd Gurley, both running and catching the ball, helped push Los Angeles to first in the NFL in scoring this season. The Rams led with an average of 29.9 points per game. While the Rams’ defense did have some issues occasionally with an average of 339.6 total yards allowed. The unit was ranked 12th in the NFL when it came to points allowed with 20.6 ppg. This should be a great matchup in a game that could easily go OVER BetAnySports’ total line. I am going with the Falcons’ plus the 6 points as my ‘best bet’ pick given their edge on a much bigger stage in the postseason.
Recent Form
| Name | Record | ATS | Offense | Defense | Diff | ATS Home | ATS Away | OU Record | OU Home | OU Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 10-6 | 7-9 | 22.06 | 19.69 | 2.37 | 5-3 | 2-6 | 5-11 | 2-6 | 3-5 |
| LA Rams | 11-5 | 9-7 | 29.88 | 20.56 | 9.32 | 4-4 | 5-3 | 10-5-1 | 3-4-1 | 7-1 |
Power Stats
Yards Per Point
| Name | Offense | Defense | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 16.54 | 16.17 | 0.37 |
| LAR | 12.1 | 16.53 | -4.43 |
Yards Per Pass
| Name | Offense | Defense | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 11.63 | 9.47 | 2.16 |
| LAR | 11.95 | 10.74 | 1.21 |
Yards Per Rush
| Name | Offense | Defense | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 4.30 | 4.14 | 0.16 |
| LAR | 4.30 | 4.69 | -0.39 |
Team Records
Atlanta Falcons
| Name | Record | Home | Away | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | Offense | Defense | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 10-6 | 5-3 | 5-3 | 7-9 | 5-3 | 2-6 | 22.06 | 19.69 | 2.37 |
| vs Conf | 9-3 | 5-1 | 4-2 | 7-5 | 5-1 | 2-4 | 23.92 | 19.08 | 4.84 |
| vs Div | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 18.00 | 21.33 | -3.33 |
| Last 3 | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 0-2 | 19.67 | 18.00 | 1.67 |
Los Angeles Rams
| Name | Record | Home | Away | ATS | ATS Home | ATS Away | Offense | Defense | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 11-5 | 4-4 | 7-1 | 9-7 | 4-4 | 5-3 | 29.88 | 20.56 | 9.32 |
| vs Conf | 7-5 | 2-4 | 5-1 | 6-6 | 2-4 | 4-2 | 28.75 | 22.75 | 6.00 |
| vs Div | 3-0 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 2-1 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 38.33 | 20.67 | 17.66 |
| Last 3 | 2-1 | 0-1 | 2-0 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 27.33 | 21.33 | 6.00 |
NFC Wildcard Supergrid
| Title | Stat | Rank | Stat | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense | 22.06 | 15 | 20.56 | 12 |
| Away Team Road Passing vs Home Team Home Passing Defense | 252.38 | 7 | 209.75 | 11 |
| Away Team Road Rushing vs Home Team Home Rushing Defense | 110.63 | 10 | 114.13 | 21 |
| Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense | 29.88 | 1 | 19.69 | 8 |
| Home Team Home Passing vs Away Team Road Passing Defense | 258.25 | 8 | 222.13 | 14 |
| Home Team Home Rushing vs Away Team Road Rushing Defense | 106.88 | 21 | 113.50 | 14 |
Head To Head Summary
| Name | Record | ATS | OU | Score | Rush | YPR | PA | CP | PY | TY | TO +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 6-4 | 5-5 | 7-3 | 25.40 | 149.10 | 5.52 | 32.20 | 59.63 | 202.80 | 351.90 | 1.60 |
| LA Rams | 4-6 | 5-5 | 7-3 | 24.60 | 105.80 | 4.62 | 35.90 | 66.30 | 279.10 | 384.90 | 1.90 |
Head To Head Detail
| Date | Away | Home | Score | Line | Total | OU Result | ARY | APY | ATY | ATT | HRY | HPY | HTY | HTT | Away Team Attempts | Home Team Attempts | Away Team Completions | Home Team Completions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2016 | ATL | LAR | 42-14 | 66 | 220 | 286 | 0 | 104 | 208 | 312 | 5 | |||||||
| Sep 15, 2013 | LAR | ATL | 24-31 | 69 | 352 | 421 | 1 | 36 | 357 | 393 | 0 | |||||||
| Nov 21, 2010 | ATL | LAR | 34-17 | 138 | 253 | 391 | 0 | 71 | 233 | 304 | 1 | |||||||
| Dec 28, 2008 | LAR | ATL | 27-31 | 202 | 206 | 408 | 0 | 263 | 154 | 417 | 3 | |||||||
| Dec 2, 2007 | ATL | LAR | 16-28 | 111 | 324 | 435 | 3 | 105 | 304 | 409 | 2 | |||||||
| Jan 15, 2005 | LAR | ATL | 17-47 | 77 | 262 | 339 | 2 | 327 | 70 | 397 | 1 | |||||||
| Sep 19, 2004 | LAR | ATL | 17-34 | 30 | 250 | 280 | 2 | 242 | 174 | 416 | 0 | |||||||
| Oct 13, 2003 | ATL | LAR | 0-36 | 73 | 136 | 209 | 4 | 119 | 377 | 496 | 3 | |||||||
| Jan 6, 2002 | ATL | LAR | 13-31 | 107 | 148 | 255 | 3 | 192 | 266 | 458 | 3 | |||||||
| Dec 2, 2001 | LAR | ATL | 35-6 | 89 | 333 | 422 | 0 | 128 | 192 | 320 | 2 |
NFC Wildcard Betting Trends
| Atlanta Falcons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games | ||
| Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road | ||
| Atlanta is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games on the road | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games on the road | ||
| Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Rams | ||
| Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing LA Rams | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games when playing LA Rams | ||
| Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Rams | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Rams | ||
Los Angeles Rams |
||
|---|---|---|
| LA Rams is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Rams’s last 5 games | ||
| LA Rams is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games at home | ||
| LA Rams is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games at home | ||
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Rams’s last 6 games at home | ||
| LA Rams is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta | ||
| LA Rams is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Rams’s last 5 games when playing Atlanta | ||
| LA Rams is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta | ||
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Rams’s last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta | ||
Team Last 5 Games
Atlanta Falcons
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | ATS Result | offensive rush yards | offensive passing yards | offensive total yards | defensive rush yards | defensive passing yards | defensive total yards | turnovers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2017 | CAR | 22-10 | W | -5/44.5 | W/U | 60 | 311 | 371 | 87 | 161 | 248 | -3 | H |
| Dec 24, 2017 | NO | 13-23 | L | 5/51 | L/U | 67 | 264 | 331 | 86 | 229 | 315 | 1 | A |
| Dec 18, 2017 | TB | 24-21 | W | -7/49.5 | L/U | 201 | 209 | 410 | 84 | 289 | 373 | -1 | A |
| Dec 7, 2017 | NO | 20-17 | W | -2.5/51.5 | W/U | 132 | 211 | 343 | 50 | 256 | 306 | 2 | H |
| Dec 3, 2017 | MIN | 9-14 | L | -2/48.5 | L/U | 102 | 173 | 275 | 105 | 207 | 312 | 0 | H |
Los Angeles Rams
| Date | Opponent | score | Result | line | ATS Result | offensive rush yards | offensive passing yards | offensive total yards | defensive rush yards | defensive passing yards | defensive total yards | turnovers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2017 | SF | 13-34 | L | 6.5/44 | L/O | 102 | 149 | 251 | 171 | 292 | 463 | -1 | H |
| Dec 24, 2017 | TEN | 27-23 | W | -5.5/46 | L/O | 116 | 286 | 402 | 97 | 269 | 366 | 0 | A |
| Dec 17, 2017 | SEA | 42-7 | W | 1/47.5 | W/O | 244 | 108 | 352 | 78 | 71 | 149 | -1 | A |
| Dec 10, 2017 | PHI | 35-43 | L | 1/47 | L/O | 109 | 198 | 307 | 139 | 316 | 455 | 1 | H |
| Dec 3, 2017 | ARI | 32-16 | W | -7/43 | W/O | 90 | 213 | 303 | 118 | 194 | 312 | -1 | A |
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