By Stephen Nover
Seahawks at Falcons Under 50 1/2
This high total would be justified if Matt Ryan were playing and Russell Wilson was turned loose. But Ryan is out and I doubt the Seahawks change their conservative strategy of running the ball far more than normal in today’s NFL. A sprained ankle and the 1-6 Falcons having a bye next week are the combination ending Ryan’s streak of 154 consecutive starts.
There are a lot of bad backup QB’s in the NFL. Atlanta has one in 38-year-old Matt Schaub. He’s an immobile game-manager with a 14-to-20 touchdown-to-interception ratio since 2013. Schaub hasn’t started in four years. The only way Schaub is a threat to the Over is by his tendency to throw pick-six’s.
Seattle’s pass rush is due for a big game. The circumstances are ripe here for that. Schaub can’t run and the Falcons have permitted 19 sacks. Atlanta also is down one of its playmakers as versatile, big-play threat Mohamed Sanu was traded to New England for a second round pick. The Seahawks also made a trade this week that helps the Under in this game dealing for Lions safety Quandre Diggs.
The Seahawks don’t need to do anything fancy to win this road matchup. The Falcons are reeling. They are anixously awaiting their bye next week. So the Seahawks would be smart to pound the ball – as they usually like to do – against a below average Atlanta run defense while not taking any chances with high-risk plays.
If the Seahawks’ game plan is to play for field position and grind out a victory that should ensure an Under due to this large total and Schaub’s inability to make big plays.
(I am 94-73-6 on my NFL premium/free plays the last two years, including 49-33-3 on my last 85. I also am 102-58-2 in college football the past two seasons on my premium/free plays, including 48-25-2 on my last 75. I am up 18.1 units in hockey and am having a winning NBA season. If you are interested in my sports service please email me at scriber26@gmail.com or message me via Twitter.)
