In Week 2 of the NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons will host the Green Bay Packers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both teams exceeded expectations in their opening week while heading into this matchup with 1-0 records. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 17.
Below, we’ll provide our top pick against the spread for this matchup, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Packers vs. Falcons, Week 2: Pick against the spread
The Packers came through with a 38-20 win at the Chicago Bears last week. Their new franchise quarterback, Jordan Love, tossed three touchdowns and 245 yards while running back Aaron Jones posted 127 total yards and a pair of scores himself. Even the defense got in on the fun when Quay Walker returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive win in the chapter following Aaron Rodgers for this franchise.
Speaking of quality wins, the Falcons used their strong defense and an efficient rushing attack to beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 last week. Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw two interceptions, and the Falcons capitalized by averaging five yards per carry, and quarterback Desmond Ridder was efficient while going 15-of-18 for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The Packers step into this game as 1.5-point road favorites with an over/under of 40.5 points. For all intents and purposes, these are similar teams, and the Falcons have the benefit of home-field advantage. It feels like this line could be an overreaction to the Packers winning handedly on the road last week, but some of that comes down to a meltdown for the Bears.
The Falcons have a solid defense to give Jordan Love problems, similar to what they did to rookie Bryce Young of Carolina last week. From there, Atlanta’s efficient offense and solid rushing attack have a chance to control the game and pull out a victory.