Losing former defensive player of the year Nick Bosa for the year to a knee injury was a blow; watching Fred Warner exit last week’s game with a season ending ankle injury was a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. In their first game without their two best defensive players the San Francisco 49ers host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 Sunday Night Football with the 49ers favored in NFL betting odds. The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA and will be televised on NBC.
Falcons at 49ers Preview
The vibe around the Falcons has shifted dramatically in the last three weeks. They enter this matchup off back to back wins over teams that played in the conference championship last season. That seemed highly unlikely after the Falcons were embarrassed 30-0 at Carolina in Week 3 with Michael Penix Jr. getting benched. Penix Jr. and the club responded with cover wins over Washington and Buffalo earning three payouts in their last four games.
Penix Jr. threw for a career-high 313 yards and two TDs against Washington and Bijan Robinson scampered for 170 yards and a TD on 19 carries in the 24-14 win over the Bills. While the offense has come to life the defense has been sound all year not allowing more than 294 yards in any game and leading the NFL conceding just 253.4 yards a game.
- Robinson had 238 scrimmage yards last week against Buffalo and leads the NFL in that category with 822 yards.
- The Falcons are 2-5 SU and ATS as an underdog in their last seven road games.
- In their last two games the Falcons averaged 439 yards a game and 6.8 yards per play. They are 2nd overall in the NFL averaging 378.8 yards.
- Atlanta is averaging 2 takeaways in the last four games.
It’s hard enough trying to stop teams when a top defender goes down. The 49ers will have to attempt it without two of them. Just when they were getting over the loss of Nick Bosa, star LB Fred Warner was lost to an ankle injury. The club has done its best to stay in games, but two losses in the last three will test them.
The defense ranks in the middle of the pack allowing nearly 322 yards per game and 21.3 points. The loss of Bosa has affected the pass rush with the Niners’ 7 sacks more than only Carolina. Bosa had a pair before going on the shelf. In the last two games Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford combined to complete 67 percent of their passes for 645 yards and 5 TDs.
- The 49ers are one of two teams (Jets) that have yet to intercept a pass.
- The Niners are 1-6 ATS in their last six home games.
- San Francisco has cashed the OVER in three straight and four of the last five games.
- Brock Purdy and George Kittle returned to practice and both could be available for Sunday’s game.
Falcons at 49ers Predictions
With the Niners banged up on defense and the front seven looking much weaker than it did at the beginning of the year, expect the Falcons to attack with a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson. The NFL leader averages more than 164 scrimmage yards and his projected total is 121.5 for this game. That number seems low so it’s a good time to jump on the OVER.
Falcons at 49ers Betting Tips
- Despite their injuries the 49ers opened as a 2.5-point favorite on the NFL betting line.
- San Francisco is -132 on the moneyline and Falcons are +118.
- Atlanta won and covered in its last two games as a dog.
- The total surfaced at 47.5 matching the highest in a Niners game this season. They went OVER that number in Tampa Bay last week for a third straight game.
- The Falcons cashed the OVER in eight of their last 10 road games against the NFC West.
Falcons at 49ers Head to Head and Key Stats
- Atlanta won and covered three of the last four meetings, including the most recent encounter, 28-14, during the 2022 season as a 3.5-point home underdog.
- Four of the last six matchups were decided by 10 points or more.
- The teams were members of the NFC West from 1970 through 2021 playing a total of 66 games against each other.
- The 49ers are 2-1 SU and ATS in the three games played at Levi’s Stadium.
