NFL Point Spreads Week 5: Falcons vs 49ers
The big news for the Niners recently was the finalized deal with Michael Crabtree. We won’t be seeing him this week. Instead we’re going to see the same team that has gone 3-1 SU, with their lone loss due to an improbably Brett Favre miracle in Minnesota. Both teams are playing strong this season, and in a battle of NFC underdogs, we’re about to find out which team is serious about the playoffs.
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The San Francisco 49ers gave Shaun Hill a chance at the beginning of the season, and man did it pay off.
Hill is a gamer, the kind of quarterback you want leading your team when the fires get scorching. With 25.5 points per game, it’s hard to fault Hill for a 156.7 pass yards average. He gets results, right? Wins is what you want isn’t it?
Matt Ryan has been called upon much more for Atlanta, and he’s been handed weapons like Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons have averaged 210.3 passing yards per game but just 19.0 points per. Wins over Miami and Carolina aren’t that convincing to me, and a blowout loss to New England speaks volumes about the Atlanta Falcons. They’re young and aren’t the same team that was playing without expectation last season.
Atlanta Falcons (2-1) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
Sunday, October 11 th — Candlestick Park, San Francisco — 4:05pm EST
NFL Betting Line: San Francisco -2.5 (41)
The Niners are playing with a chip on their shoulder, making the often jilted Shaun Hill the perfect quarterback for this team. They stood tall in a loss to Minnesota, proving they could hang with the best in the NFC. If you use that as a measuring stick for success, then the Falcons failed miserable while playing an AFC contender. I’m not saying Hill is better than Ryan, but I am saying that Hill’s thirst to succeed despite brutal odds is driving this underdog Niners team right up the rankings.
The oddsmakers like the Falcons enough to shed a half-point against the home team, but that doesn’t deter me. If anything, that makes this game even more attractive. The Niners are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games at home and 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games against Atlanta. The trends, and momentum is in the favor of the Niners.
If this is a proving ground game, I’ll take the resilient Niners over the Falcons. Atlanta hasn’t proven anything other than an ability to beat two of the worst teams in the NFL. They were handed a reality check by the Patriots, a notice that the Niners will serve yet again in Week 5 betting.
Free Pick: San Francisco -2.5 (UNDER)
