The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions do battle Sunday afternoon in a NFC week 16 NFL matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Detroit Lions look for a win after winning two of their last three games. The Atlanta Falcons need a win after splitting their last 12 games.
The Detroit Lions have yet to win a road game this season. Jared Goff is completing 67 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards, 17 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown and TJ Hockenson have combined for 1,184 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns while Kalif Raymond has 41 receptions. The Detroit Lions ground game is averaging 111.6 yards per contest, and D’Andre Swift leads the way with 555 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, Detroit is allowing 26.1 points and 380.5 yards per game. Alex Anzalone leads the Detroit Lions with 78 tackles, Charles Harris has 7.5 sacks and Amani Oruwariye has 6 interceptions.
The Atlanta Falcons have yet to win a home game this season. Matt Ryan is completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 3,340 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Kyle Pitts and Russell Gage have combined for 1,402 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns, while Cordarrelle Patterson has 48 receptions. The Atlanta Falcons ground game is averaging 89 yards per contest, and Patterson leads the way with 565 yards and 5 touchdowns. Defensively, Atlanta is allowing 27.4 points and 366.9 yards per game. Foyesade Oluokun leads the Atlanta Falcons with 152 tackles, Dante Fowler Jr. has 4.5 sacks and Jaylinn Hawkins has 2 interceptions.
The Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Falcons are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games and 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games in Week 16. The under is 9-3 in Lions last 12 games overall. The under is 5-1 in Falcons last 6 games overall. The Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
The Atlanta Falcons are the better team on paper, but they have yet to string together good performances, and they’ve actually been better on the road than at home. The Detroit Lions have their issues as well, but they’ve been competitive all season, they play hard, and they’ve won two of their last three games, which includes just beating a NFC contender in the Cardinals. Throw records out the window, the Lions are playing the better football currently. I’ll take my chances with the points here.