Sunday NFL Betting – 49ers To Struggle Without Gore
The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the quietest 3-1 teams in the NFL this season. As is the norm, West Coast teams just don’t get the attention they deserve.
While most people are quick to point out that the Cincinnati Bengals would be perfect had it not been for a fluky last-second loss, the 49ers would also be 4-0 had it not been for a last-second Brett Favre miracle.
Time: 4:05 ET
Venue: Candlestick Park
Falcons vs. 49ers Football Lines
MoneyLine: Falcons +120 / 49ers -140
Spread: 49ers -2.5
Over/Under: 41
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Even so, the 49ers are in for a tough test this week. They will once again be without running back Frank Gore in the lineup and that really limits their big play capabilities. Playing a playoff contender that is rested off a bye week, the 49ers should be in for their second loss of the season.
Falcons offense vs 49ers defense
The 49ers defense is a very confident group at this point but it’s hard to gauge how good they really are. They stifled the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, but the Cardinals appear to have taken a step back. In Week 2, they shutdown the Seattle Seahawks, who played most of the game without Matt Hasselbeck. And last week, the 49ers shutout the hapless St. Louis Rams.
At home, it’s fair to say they will be tough but the Falcons have the weapons to give them trouble.
The Falcons are rested and coming off a bye week and maybe more importantly, lost their last road game in New England. They have had two weeks to think about piecing together a better road performance and they should be able to this week.
Michael Turner may find little running room but the passing game should be able to do some damage. With Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, quarterback Matt Ryan should be able to find some holes in the 49ers secondary.
49ers offense vs Falcons defense
It might surprise you, but 49ers starting quarterback, Shaun Hill, is now 10-4 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. While he’s not flashy and he never gets any credit, he does win games.
He may have to share some of that credit with Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore, who unfortunately will be out for this contest.
Gore miss the game last week and the 49ers struggled offensively, although the 35-0 win over the St. Louis Rams would indicated otherwise. 21 of the teams points were scored from either the defense or special teams and the offense compiled just 228 yards. More importantly, the running game provided just a 3.3 yards per carry average.
Against the Rams, the 49ers can get by with that. Against the Falcons, the 49ers won’t.
Outlook & Pick
The 49ers defense will be stout in this contest but their offense will have a tough time scoring points. The Falcons want to make a statement on the road and after a bye week, they’ll make the message clear that they are ahead of the 49ers on the NFC totem pole.
Pick: Falcons +2.5
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Dave Golokhov has written for BETUS Sportsbook, Sportsfanmagazine.com, FOX, Askmen.com, Sports-central.org, and the FOXSports.com Funhouse.
One reply on “Week 5 NFL Lines: Falcons vs. 49ers”
I agree with you concerning the fact that Atlanta having had a bye week presents problems for SF, particularly given the fact that Matt Ryan has already established himself as a notoriously good game-film student. So he and the Atlanta offense will be prepared. However, a much overlooked key is the matchup between Patrick Willis and Tony Gonzales. If Willis can recognize and track Gonzales in coverage, particularly when Gonzales chips on run/pass plays, then Matt Ryan could struggle massively against the SF defense.
Also, it should be noted that Atlanta’s run defense is in shambles. The team gave tryouts to three veteran D-linemen this week, as they are not happy. I know Gore is out, but this could be Glen Coffee’s coming-out-party is Atlanta continues its bad defensive play. My pick is SF at home.