After joining this past Sunday’s comeback circus with 24 unanswered points of their own in a crucial road win over the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons will look to avoid putting themselves in another early hole this week as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Falcons nearly dealt themselves another setback in their pursuit of an NFC Wild Card spot, and will need to be much more efficient this week against the Jaguars if they are going to cover the sports betting spread.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons
Thursday December 15, 2011 – 8:25 PM ET
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
NFL Betting Lines: Atlanta Falcons – 11
For as awful as the Jaguars looked on Monday Night Football a couple of weeks ago, they did manage to bounce back with an improbable win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday, their fourth of the season. With Maurice-Jones Drew on offense and one of the toughest defenses in the league, the Falcons can’t afford to let off the gas in this one.
Jaguars Falcons Betting Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars
Considering the way that the Jaguars’ offense failed to show up on MNF against the Chargers, it had to have been a surprise to see the team put up 41 against the Bucs. However, 14 of those points came from a defense that had been embarrassed the previous week, and Maurice Jones-Drew was responsible for the other four. The Falcons can cheat up in to the box and worry about Jones-Drew as their biggest challenge with rookie Blaine Gabbert only rarely looking to throw downfield, and until he challenges the Atlanta secondary, the one-dimensional Jacksonville offense could be in trouble.
Jaguars Falcons Betting Preview: Atlanta Falcons
The one thing that the Falcons’ defense does well is swarm to the football, as there are multiple players hitting the spot every time the opponent makes a play. This week Atlanta’s defense will be tasked with slowing down Jones-Drew, while finding a way to move the ball more efficiently on offense without turning it over. The Falcons’ wide receivers lead the league in dropped balls, but the tandem of Julio Jones and Roddy White made some spectacular grabs last week and both can be game changers. Regardless of the passing game strengths, Atlanta has a bowling ball in its backfield in running back Michael Turner, and it’s never a bad idea to allow him to hammer the rock.
Jaguars Falcons Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
Falcons’ defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder is still not thrilled with what he has seen from his team so far this year, and this will be a game where he really tests his troops. Atlanta put up a ton of points against the Panthers but still made too many mistakes, so head coach Mike Smith will want to see his offense set the tone for the game with a balanced attack, and be able to manage the clock while putting up a ton of points to cover what the spread is according to the sportsbook.
Jaguars Falcons Betting Pick: Atlanta Falcons