Falcons Open As 4 Point Favorites Against Visiting Dolphins

NFL News - September 7th, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

Week 1 of the NFL regular season has the Dolphins traveling away from the beautiful sunshine of south Miami, to head north, for a match up against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are in the NFC and the Dolphins in the AFC, so these teams don't get to see each other play very often. Both represented their conference in the 2008 NFL Playoffs and this game should be a good one. The Falcons have an advantage of playing in a dome. The Dolphins hardly ever get games scheduled in dome arenas being that they play in the AFC East. In fact, the Dolphins have only played in a dome once in the last two seasons which came in week 13, last year, at St. Louis, in which the Dolphins beat the Rams.

Atlanta looks to retake hold of the NFC South in 2009. Last year, Matt Ryan and Michael Turner led the Falcons to an 11-5 record. Much of what got the Falcons to that level still remains, especially on offense, except for the addition of veteran TE Tony Gonzalez. On defense, the Falcons lost long time LB Keith Brooking, but added Mike Peterson who reunites with ex-defensive coordinator, Mike Smith, who is now the head coach of the Falcons. Things started well for the Falcons, in 2008, as they won their week one game against the Lions 34-21 in the comfort of the Georgia Dome. In addition to their week 1 win, the Falcons would win 6 of the 7 other home games in 2008, a trend they look to continue in 2009.

The Dolphins have had trouble in the past winning football games in week 1. In fact, the Dolphins have lost their last three week 1 games, dating back to 2006. If the Dolphins want to match their 2008 success of 11-5, Tony Sparano must find a way to get the win in Week 1. Back is the lethal running attack of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Also returning will be Chad Pennington to take the snaps from under center. 2009 will most likely see a mix of Pennington and new drafted QB Pat White, who will be brought in to run Wildcat plays. On the defense, the Dolphins traded out average for more average. Gibril Wilson will be taking the place vacated by Renaldo Hill who went to Denver. In order for the Dolphins to succeed, they must be able to run the ball, as well as stop the run.

Neither the Dolphins nor the Falcons played very good defense in 2008. Both teams added players to their offenses over the offseason while neglecting defensive holes. Prognosticators look for this game to be high scoring. The Dolphins will undoubtedly look to run the ball, and use the Wildcat offense which is capable of producing large chunks of yardage. With addition on Pat White, the Dolphins look to maximize the Wildcat's effectiveness by adding another lightning fast player in the mix. Running the ball is also the strong suit for the Falcons, though they are capable of big gains through the air. The Falcons have proven they can run the football with Michael Turner, and should establish the run attack early and often against the Dolphins lackluster defensive line. This game will come down to which ever team's defense can get the most stops.

The point spread for this game favors the Atlanta Falcons at -4 points, which would seem about right considering the Falcons' home field advantage. Due to the success the Falcons have at home, and the lack of success the Dolphins have in week one games, selecting a straight up wager would seem a very easy pick for the Falcons. Currently, the Falcons pay -215 compared to the Dolphins +185 to win straight up. The Dolphins have proven they can score points in the wild cat offense, and the Falcons exploded last year as one of the top offenses in the league. These two teams should have no troubles scoring and the 44 points, set as the over/under, looks to be in danger. First half bettors would be inclined to take the Dolphins, as they are getting 2 1/2 points at a payout of -105. The total for the first half is currently set at 22, right down the middle. Look for second half odds to be posted, at online sportsbooks, during halftime of this NFL week 1 matchup.

Odds found at: Bodog, Bookmaker and DSI Sportsbooks

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