Washington A Surprising Road Favorite At Atlanta

The Washington Football Team (1-2 SU, 0-3 ATS) has yet to cover the spread this season yet finds itself as a rare road favorite Sunday in a visit to the Atlanta Falcons (1-2, 1-2). Washington has been favored away from home just once since 2019 and failed to cover as 6.5-point chalk in a 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 last year. The Falcons have lost five of six as home underdogs.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

This is one of the strangest point spreads of the young season, as it should probably be more like a pick’em. Instead, Washington has somehow earned the distinction of being the favorite even though the team has not really done anything to deserve it.

This is more about Atlanta’s ineptness on both sides of the ball despite coming off a 17-14 upset of the New York Giants as a 2.5-point road underdog. There has been no early movement on the spread as bettors try to figure out which side to back, but the total has gone down as much as two points to 47.5 at some sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Washington News & Notes

This team was a major disappointment last week in a 43-21 road loss to the Buffalo Bills as a 7-point underdog. Buffalo jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and saw Washington pull within 21-14 about halfway through the second quarter. However, the Bills scored 22 unanswered points after that en route to the blowout.

Washington had surprisingly won its previous four road games and saw that winning streak end, with fourth-year quarterback Taylor Heinicke struggling in his first career start away from home. Heinicke completed 14 of 24 passes at Buffalo with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Atlanta News & Notes

The Falcons might not be as talented offensively this year, but they did show a lot defensively against the Giants. This was the same New York team that Washington almost lost to at home in the previous week’s Thursday Night Football game. The Giants ultimately fell short in a 30-29 loss but managed to rack up some impressive offensive numbers.

Last Sunday, the Falcons held them to only one offensive touchdown, and Washington will be hard pressed to beat them if the same thing happens again here. The key for Atlanta will be limiting turnovers and playing the same kind of D back at home.

Staff Betting Pick: Falcons +100

The Falcons have won the past six meetings in this series with Washington, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database, although they have been favored in four of the last five. Ironically, Washington closed as a 1.5-point home favorite the last time they met in 2018, and Atlanta won easily in a 38-14 rout that finished OVER the closing total of 47. While this one might not be as high-scoring or lopsided, the Falcons will pull off the upset win.