PICKSWISE
Falcons vs Saints prediction: Falcons -3 (-115)
The New Orleans Saints will be trying to end a 7-game losing streak and win under an interim head coach when they host their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon. Through the first 2 weeks of the season, New Orleans was 2-0, setting records offensively and there was already Super Bowl talk. Well, life comes at you fast. Dennis Allen got fired on Monday following his team’s 7th consecutive loss, a 23-22 setback against the Carolina Panthers — another one of the worst teams in the NFL. Things could get even worse before they get better, too. WR1 Chris Olave suffered a concussion last weekend and is questionable. On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry is also questionable and Marshon Lattimore — as expected — was traded prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.
At the other end of the spectrum are the Falcons, who appear to be well on their way to the NFC South title at 6-3. They are 4-0 in the division, including a 26-24 victory over New Orleans in Week 4 followed by a sweep of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an easy win over Carolina. Atlanta is 6-1 in the NFC following this past week’s 27-21 defeat of the Dallas Cowboys, which was not as close as the final score suggests. WR1 Drake London is questionable with a hip injury, but new quarterback Kirk Cousins is on an absolute roll and has plenty of other weapons to work with even if London can’t go. The Saints are #27 in the league against the pass and have also surrendered the 3rd-most rushing touchdowns (12), so Cousins and company should be able to expose them in multiple ways.
