New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons prediction

The NFL season is winding down, and there has never been a better time to make your free NFL predictions. In a shocking move, the Atlanta Falcons are set to bench longtime NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons season is not yet lost, and they can get right back into the NFC South picture with a victory over the New York Giants. New York benched and released their franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones, earlier this season, and they are expected to draft a new signal caller in the offseason. Quarterbacks Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito haven’t been able to deliver for the Giants this season, and whoever suits up will struggle against a hungry Falcons defense. The NFL odds have the Atlanta Falcons as heavy favorites, but the NFL is one of the most unpredictable sports, so you can never count out the underdog. 

Matchup: Giants vs Falcons Overview

• Teams: Atlanta Falcons vs New York Giants
• Date: Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
• Time: Kick-off is at 1:00 PM EST
• Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia

Win Probabilities:

Just three games remain in the NFL regular season, and the Atlanta Falcons are desperate to pick up a win. They are big favorites on the NFL odds, as the New York Giants are more concerned about protecting their high draft pick at this stage of the season. The Atlanta Falcons are the hotter team, have a home-field advantage, and have a 79.06% chance of picking up the win against the Giants. Alternatively, the New York Giants still have a roster of players looking to develop their NFL careers and a 20.94% chance of pulling off the upset. 

Projected Final Score:

Both of these teams have been struggling in recent weeks, and the recent insights project a low-scoring game to take place in Atlanta this weekend. The expert picks and predictions have been taken into account, and a projected final score has been generated for the New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons matchup. The projected final score is Atlanta Falcons 23-15 New York Giants.

Giants vs Falcons Odds

This highly anticipated NFL week 16 matchup has seen the NFL odds shift dramatically as kickoff approaches. The Atlanta Falcons were as high as -10 point favorites on the NFL odds but have since seen their line shift down to -8.5. The announcement that Michael Penix Jr. would be starting at quarterback for the Falcons may have played a role, but this line was far too wide for an inconsistent Falcons team regardless. Both of these teams have stronger defenses than their lackluster offenses, and the total points are at just 42 for this pivotal NFL game. 

Expert Prediction: Who Will Get the Cover? 

Why the New York Giants Can Cover

The New York Giants will struggle to win this game outright, but they can certainly cover the large spread. Drew Lock is expected to start at quarterback for the Giants, and he will look to get star receiver Malik Nabers involved early and often. Nabers has been one of the lone bright spots for the Giants this season. He has hauled 90 catches for 901 yards despite missing a couple of games with an injury earlier this season. 

The best chance the New York Giants have at covering this spread is to hope the Falcons find a way to throw the game away. Atlanta has been unable to beat the mediocre teams over the last few months and scraped out a five-point win against the Raiders last week. This is a daunting spread they are expected to cover, so if the Giants play good defense and don’t turn the ball over, they can certainly stay within the margin. 

Why the Atlanta Falcons Can Cover

The Atlanta Falcons made the shocking yet necessary decision to bench Kirk Cousins. Signing Cousins was always going to be a risky move, but the dropoff seen from the veteran quarterback never could have been predicted. Cousins is coming off a major Achilles injury and looks immobile in the pocket. He was always more of a pocket passer than a dual-threat quarterback, but any chance of Cousins picking it up to a jog has evaporated. His 4-year, 180 million contract will be a real issue, but it was wise to move on from Cousins at this stage of the season. 

In steps Michael Penix Jr. It was shocking for Atlanta to draft Penix Jr. with the 8th overall pick just months after signing Cousins, but it appears to have been the right call. Penix Jr. is an explosive signal caller capable of bringing life back into the Falcons offense. Cousins’ lack of mobility severely restricted the Falcons’ offensive playbook, and Penix Jr. gives them a whole new set of plays they can run. 

Bijan Robinson has been a dominant running back in the backfield and will only get better now that Penix Jr. is the quarterback. Teams can no longer fill up the tackle box to stop Robinson, as Penix Jr. will make them pay down the field. The Falcons have a balanced offense capable of scoring every time they get the ball. This is a big spread to cover, but when New York is forced to punt time and time again, it’s only a matter of time before Atlanta runs away with the game. 

How to Make New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons Picks

The best way to make free picks for the Atlanta Falcons vs New York Giants matchup is by visiting Sportzino. This may not be the closest NFL week 16 matchup, but the opportunity to make free NFL picks and predictions cannot be ignored. Sportzino offers the best NFL odds for all 272 regular season games, including spreads, totals, moneylines, and various player props. The Falcons cannot afford to lose this game if they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive, making this a very intense game for your NFL predictions.