Washington’s trip to Atlanta is a great opportunity for one of these 1-2 teams to get back to .500 after contrasting Week 3 results. The Football Team were manhandled in Buffalo in a 42-21 defeat to the Bills but have generally enjoyed life on the road recently, winning four of their last five games.
The Falcons picked up their first win under Arthur Smith with a hard-earned 17-14 victory over the New York Giants at the Meadowlands and look to be trending in the right direction. However, there are still a number of flaws on this Atlanta team that will need addressing before they are ready to challenge in the NFC again, making this a tough matchup to call.
With so little to choose between the teams there’s plenty of intrigue heading into this Week 4 showdown and just to add to that we’ve come up with a same game parlay so you’ll pay ever closer attention to the action.
Under 47.5 total points (-114)
Under 9.5 1st quarter points (-110)
Cordarrelle Patterson over 28.5 receiving yards (-113)
Matt Ryan over 263.5 passing yards (-113)
Same game parlay odds: +1208
Let’s break down each of the legs.
Under 47.5 total points (-114)
Atlanta’s offense has looked better the last two weeks than it did in Week 1 but then it’s tough to be any worse than they were that day. Despite the adjustments made and Matt Ryan looking more comfortable in Smith’s scheme, they are still finding it tough to run the ball, ranking 28th in rushing the last two weeks.
Redzone issues have also hindered the Falcons and they currently rank last in total offense (DVOA). Washington’s offense hasn’t fared much better with their rushing attack stuck in the mud, managing 78 yards against Buffalo to bring their average down to 97 on the year.
Taylor Heinicke has his supporters but he’s still learning the ropes in the NFL and was exposed against the Bills. He still might be a better option at quarterback than Ryan Fitzpatrick right now for Washington but he’s going to make mistakes and is not ready to be trusted to put up a lot of points.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Washington Football Team vs Atlanta Falcons
Under 9.5 1st quarter points (-110)
For many of the reasons explained above, this game is likely to be a slow burner so don’t expect a lot of point scoring right from the off. Atlanta have blanked in the first quarter in two of their three games this year and when they have got on the scoreboard it’s only been via a field goal.
Washington have exactly the same first quarter record as the Falcons, scoring just once in three games in the opening period via a Dustin Hopkins field goal. The Football Team had first quarter issues last year, averaging less than three points so this is nothing new.
Cordarrelle Patterson over 28.5 receiving yards (-113)
Cordarrelle Patterson has got the fantasy world all excited this season having taken on a hybrid role in this Atlanta offense between running back and wide receiver. Smith and new offensive coordinator Dave Ragone are clearly fans as he’s become more and more involved in the gameplan through three weeks, finishing with over 100 yards combined in the win over the Giants.
Patterson’s main threat still comes as a receiver having caught six targets for 82 yards and he could enjoy another productive day against a Washington defense giving up an average of 307 passing yards per game this year.
Matt Ryan over 263.5 passing yards (-113)
Atlanta’s troubled rushing attack is unlikely to improve its output this week against the Washington defensive front, putting the emphasis on Ryan to sling it once more.
Matty Ice has thrown for two touchdowns in each of his last two games and has a decent record against Washington, recording eight touchdown passes in five previous meetings.
The Football Team’s defense has been nowhere near as good as advertised this year and if the Atlanta line can keep Ryan upright, he should have a big passing day given the weapons at his disposal.
Make sure you check out the rest of our same game parlays for EVERY NFL Week 4 game!
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