Atlanta, GA
ESPN Predictions Split on Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons
The last time the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons met, the (6-2) Cowboys were coming off an embarrassing home defeat to a hapless Denver Broncos team in 2021.
The Cowboys blew out the Falcons 43-3 and would go on to finish 12-5 while the Falcons finished 7-10 in Arthur Smith’s first season.
Things are a little different this season. The Falcons are 5-3 and leading the NFC South, and the 3-4 Cowboys are coming off back-to-back losses to NFC superpowers in the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.
ESPN considers the Falcons a 3.5-point favorite heading into the 1:00 p.m. kickoff in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but their trio of weekly writers is split on how the game will turn out.
NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler, fantasy analyst Eric Moody, and analytics writer Seth Walder came to a 2-1 split decision in favor of the Falcons when picking Sunday’s game.
Kahler’s pick: Falcons 28, Cowboys 20
Moody’s pick: Falcons 31, Cowboys, 27
Walder’s pick: Cowboys 27, Falcons 23
FPI prediction: ATL, 56.7% (by an average of 2.6 points)
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After a rough 1-3 start, Walder has correctly picked the outcome of three-straight Falcons games to be 4-3 on the season. Kahler has missed the last two and is 3-4, and Moody has gotten four of the last five to be 4-3 on the season as well.
The trio didn’t have predictions for Atlanta’s Week 5 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The prediction piece is released every Friday morning, and the Falcons beat the Buccaneers 36-30 that week on Thursday Night Football.
Walder also includes a bold prediction every week, and this is the week he thinks Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts cools off.
“Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts will record under 25 receiving yards,” wrote Walder. “I’m not expecting a breakout from him, not with a 33 open score anyway. That’s the worst among all qualifying tight ends and wide receivers.”
A reasonable point to think a receiver who doesn’t get open will have trouble getting yards. However, despite the low open score, Pitts has at least 65 yards in each of his last four games.
Last week the Cowboys gave up 6 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown to the 49ers’ George Kittle. Sam LaPorta only needed one catch to get 54 yards for the Lions in their 47-9 blowout of the Cowboys in Dallas.
If Walder is setting the O/U on Kyle Pitts at 25 yards against the Cowboys’ No. 20 passing defense, I’ll take the over. To be fair, a “bold prediction” is something that isn’t likely to happen.
The Cowboys and the Falcons have both struggled on defense this year. The Falcons’ inability to affect the passer has been well documented. If Dak Prescott has the patience, and is afforded the time to throw, he’ll methodically pick the Falcons’ defense apart.
The Cowboys don’t run the ball very well, employing the NFL’s worst rushing attack. Expect Prescott to use the short-passing game as an extension of the running game to the tune of 35/50 for 300 yards.
Atlanta will need to get the Cowboys off the field. That’s something they have struggled with this season with the NFL’s No. 30 third-down defense. Teams are converting third-down on the Falcons 49% of the time.
If Atlanta can get the Cowboys off the field and hand the ball over to Kirk Cousins and the Falcons offense with regularity, Atlanta wins this game.
If they can’t, it will be a frustrating afternoon watching Prescott and the Cowboys dink and dunk the Falcons to death while Atlanta’s explosive offense watches from the sidelines.
Prediction:
Falcons: 31
Cowboys: 24
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Atlanta, GA
Philadelphia Phillies lose fifth straight game to end homestand, swept by Atlanta Braves
Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.
Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.
Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.
Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.
Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.
Schwarber’s two-run shot in the first gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
Harris homered leading off the third before the Braves went ahead in the fifth with three runs against rookie starter Andrew Painter (1-1) and lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Painter was lifted after he opened the inning by allowing singles to Harris and Acuña. Mayza loaded the bases with a walk, and the Braves tied the game on Matt Olson’s groundout. Riley’s dribbler to third went for an RBI infield single, and Albies’ double to the left-field wall made it 4-2.
Riley saved at least one run while ending a Philadelphia threat in the bottom of the fifth with a stellar defensive play at third base.
Braves starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
On a chilly night, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with lower back tightness.
Up next
Braves: Begin a four-game series Monday night at Washington. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16).
Phillies: Open seven-game trip Monday night with the first of four games against the Cubs. RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 4.03 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63).
Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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