The Eagles, looking to join nine teams that are already off to a 2-0 start, will host the Falcons on “Monday Night Football” for their second consecutive primetime game.
Meanwhile, the Falcons will be hoping to avoid a dreaded 0-2 start.
Since the league introduced the wild card in 1990, of the 279 teams that started the season 0-2, just 32 (11.5%) have made the playoffs.
Atlanta's challenge this season will be navigating offseason changes that brought a complete coaching revamp and a new quarterback returning from a torn Achilles.
Kirk Cousins didn't seem all that comfortable moving around in the pocket in Week 1, finishing with just 155 passing yards and two interceptions.
Atlanta lost to the Steelers by eight points, finishing with just 10. Given Cousins' struggles in primetime, I've put together a parlay of the same games at plus money to favor this matchup.
Falcons vs Eagles match parlay
- First leg: ALT total less than 49.5 points (-180)
- Second leg: Eagles win (-250 ML)
ALT total less than 49.5 points (-180)
The Eagles were four-point favorites to open the game and moved to -5.5 despite news that All-Pro wide receiver AJ Brown would be absent.
So the Falcons aren't getting much respect after their poor Week 1 performance at home.
One thing that's clear about new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is that he has a distinguished history as a defensive coordinator.
Morris could bring some improvement to Atlanta's defense, but his biggest challenge will be getting the offense back on track.
During his time as Tampa Bay's head coach from 2009-2011, the Buccaneers' passing attack ranked 22nd or lower in two of his three seasons.
In other words, Morris is not the kind of passing game guru who rolls up his sleeves and joins the offense.
Instead, he is more likely to provide the structure and function of a CEO role similar to that seen with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
According to Pro Football Reference, Cousins threw for the fourth-fewest air yards (5.3) on passes down the field in Week 1. The NFL's Next Gen Stats also ranks Cousins' average passing time at 2.55 seconds, sixth-worst among quarterbacks.
The point total for this game dropped three points from 48.5 to 45.5, and while this line movement may have something to do with Brown not playing, I don't expect Atlanta's offense to go much further in this game than the replacement point total of 49.5.
Eagles to win (-250 money line)
Playing under the bright lights of primetime has never been kind to Cousins, who is just 12-19 in his lone games that start after 7 p.m., per the Action Network.
As we delve deeper, the numbers get progressively worse.
- Their record as visitors in this position is 4-11.
- As visiting underdogs, they are 2-10.
- He is 0-5 in straight-up games scored at least 5.5 points as an underdog on the visiting team.
So Cousins isn't the quarterback expected to thrive in this underdog role.
I don't think it's possible to make a definitive statement about Atlanta's defense, given how it faced off against an unimaginative Steelers offense. Pittsburgh is the only 2-0 team in the league averaging fewer than 16 points per game.
Morris inherited an Atlanta roster that finished the 2023 season ranked 24th in FTN's Defensive Adjusted Average Overvalue (DVOA) metric.
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Acquiring Cousins was the Falcons' biggest offseason move, but his failure to improve the defensive line and cornerback position earned him a C- grade from Pro Football Focus.
Monday night will be an even bigger test given the threat the Eagles' offense poses through the air and on the ground.
Best bet: Same-game parlay (+130, BetMGM)
- First leg: ALT total less than 49.5 points (-180)
- Second leg: Eagles win (-250 ML)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Michael Arinze writes for the New York Post and handicappers most major sports. During his betting career, he has won two 15-leg teasers and one 12-leg parlay including eight Little League World Series games. Most recently, he correctly predicted the finalists for the 2024 European Championship and Copa America.
