Week 2 of the preseason is here, and so too is the second week of joint practices. The Falcons and Dolphins are sharing a training field ahead of this weekend’s matchup and both are in desperate need of a win. That is if they want to turn their spirits around in the locker room as they head into the regular season. That’s why this game should be important for both, so let’s check out the NFL odds for it!
Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins
Saturday, August 21, 2021 – 07:00 PM EDT at Hard Rock Stadium
Last week, both teams lost in a rather devastating fashion during the opening of the preseason, failing to put up any sort of fight. On top of that, we’ll likely see some more positional battles play out with starters watching from the sidelines, so that begs the question: How do you bet on this one? Without further ado, let’s take a look into how you should bet when you wager over at the top online sportsbooks.
Atlanta Falcons
It’s not often you can take positives from a 28-3 loss, even in the preseason, but defensive lineman Marlon Davidson did put an incredible performance for the Falcons. The former second-round pick recorded three tackles, hitting the quarterback and registering a sack. It was undoubtedly the highlight of the game, and that’s why his absence on Saturday should be a big deal. Coach Arthur Smith said at practice this week that the team will be holding him out of Week 2 of the preseason to manage his workload, confirming he doesn’t have any sort of injury.
So, while the defense may take a step back, many would expect the offense to take a step forward against Miami. That’s because A.J. McCarron, signed to be the backup for Matt Ryan over the off-season, appears to be in danger of losing that job. He had a rough preseason game and a brutal week of practice, and there are whispers Felipe Franks, the former Florida Gators quarterback, could get the nod for Atlanta.
Franks was just 2-of-9 against the Titans and hasn’t exactly been lighting up practice, either, but he’s shown the ability to run the football very well in open space. Fans saw Franks take off and immediately wanted to see more of him, and they just may get it. We’ll see if that can help bolster this offense, which clearly was lacking last week.
The Falcons will have another round of roster cuts to make on Tuesday, meaning it’s unlikely to see many starters in this one. Expect the young guys to battle it out for a roster spot or a job higher on the depth chart. Generally speaking, Atlanta has a long way to go in terms of depth.
Miami Dolphins
As it goes with a quarterback who didn’t feature for the majority of his rookie season and enters his second year with a lot of question marks, Tua Tagovailoa is once again expected to play in this game and will have plenty to do. Tagovailoa impressed many after his first preseason game, completing eight of 11 passes for 99 yards against the Bears and throwing an interception late in the end zone. The spotlight will be on him Saturday, particularly with Davidson out on the Falcons line.
We knew from watching last year’s games that the Dolphins have little to worry about when it comes to defense, so it was refreshing to see a lot out of this offense in the first week of games. Salvon Ahmed was particularly impressive with six carries for 40 yards, adding two more catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. Myles Gaskin also ran effectively, and Lynn Bowden looked like he could be a useful NFL player.
Simply put, the Dolphins’ defensive line is one of the strongest in the preseason at the moment, and now the offense is following suit. Despite a loss last week, it seems increasingly unlikely they’ll lose again here, particularly with no clarity at the quarterback position for the Falcons.
The Pick
I’m going to roll with Miami again here for my NFL pick. I’m expecting them to turn things around and was very impressed with Tagovailoa. I think he and Ahmed should star in this game against a hurting Falcons team.
NFL Pick: Dolphins -4.5 (-110) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
