The NFL Free Agency madness is well on its way, and with that, line movement is also getting crazy! In 2023, the Atlanta Falcons were a mess. With that in mind, how did they become the favorites to win the NFC South according to the betting odds? What are the Atlanta Falcons’ best future bets for the 2024 NFL season?
That’s the NFL for you folks, the only constant is changes all around the league. Also, the Falcons are moving fast to improve their squad for the upcoming season. Let’s review the odds for the NFC South and why the Falcons are favored to win. Also, is it wise to bet on them though?
2023 Atlanta Falcons Recap
The NFC South was not the most exciting division in football last year. A very important part of that statement is what the Atlanta Falcons offered. They ended up in third position, out of the playoffs and with a 7-10 record. The Falcons were the 26th scoring offense, and the 18th scoring defense.
The most alarming situation, however, was how then-HC Arthur Smith utilized the team’s weapons. Atlanta has good skill players, but it was a dreadful display of head coaching. Only one player had more than a 1,000 yds from scrimmage. That player was Bijan Robinson, and even his usage came under question throughout the season.
The next more productive players were:
- WR Drake London, 905 yds, 2 TDs
- RB Tyler Allgeier, 876, 5 TDs
- TE Kyle Pitts, 663 yds, 3 TDs
- TE Jonnu Smith, 582, 3 TDs
Between those four players, they added 3,026 yds from scrimmage and 13 TDs. Just for context, Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill had the same amount of TDs individually than all of them. If you combine Evans and Hill receiving yards -not from scrimmage- the result is 3,054 yds. Imagine two players just being better than pretty much your whole offense.
Atlanta Falcons Preview for 2024 NFL Season
A lot has changed. For starters, Arthur Smith became the OC for the Steelers, and former Rams’ DC Raheem Morris was signed as the new Head Coach. Even though Raheem Morris is a defensive-minded coach, he quickly assured the Falcons’ weapons will be exploited. How can he be so sure? He brought Zac Robinson as the new Offensive Coordinator. Morris worked with Robinson, who was the QB Coach of the Rams.
What stands out to Raheem Morris about the Falcons offense?
1. Drake London
2. Bijan Robinson pic.twitter.com/72Tw3ZMnoz— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) February 5, 2024
Jonnu Smith left, so Falcons fans can finally see an unlocked Kyle Pitts on offense. Or at least they hope to see that. Drake London and Bijan Robinson will have key roles as well. Not only that, the Falcons did it! They actually have a franchise QB now! Kirk Cousins will be the new signal-caller for the Falcons. Needless to say, Cousins is a massive upgrade over Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heinicke. The only concern with Cousins is his recovery from an Achilles injury. They also signed Darnell Mooney, who will serve as a good WR2 opposing Drake London. This is how the Falcons offensive skill players lineup:
- QB Kirk Cousins
- RB Bijan Robinson
- RB2 Tyler Allgeier
- WR Drake London
- WR2 Darnell Mooney
- TE Kyle Pitts
Their Offensive Line is also one of the league’s best, as they ended number 4 in the offensive line final PFF rankings. Things are looking good in Atlanta.
What About the Atlanta Falcons Odds?
You want to talk about money right? Ok, now that we have context, let’s look at the NFL betting lines for the Atlanta Falcons.
| Team | Betting Lines to win NFC South |
| Atlanta Falcons | -115 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +280 |
| New Orleans Saints | +340 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1500 |
Personally, I don’t like betting on futures when the price is at a negative money line, simply because the payout isn’t as big to wait for the whole season to get it. However, I don’t see Atlanta being that much better than the Buccaneers. I would tread lightly in this market.
As for who will win the NFC, the Falcons are sixth on the list:
- San Francisco 49ers +250
- Detroit Lions +550
- Dallas Cowboys +650
- Philadelphia Eagles +750
- Green Bay Packers +850
- Atlanta Falcons +1000
Don’t even think about betting in this market; it’s nearly impossible for them to win the NFC. Just ignore those Atlanta Falcons betting lines and focus elsewhere.
Odds Courtesy: DraftKings
What’s the Best Future Bet for the Atlanta Falcons?
The first advice is to wait a little bit longer until the signings slow down. Then, markets like regular season wins or “Will the Atlanta Falcons make the playoffs?” will open. However, if you want to take some action right now, you can go ahead and bet Drake London will have 1250+ Receiving Yards in the Regular Season, which is at a lovely +200. Kirk Cousins is a big, big upgrade at QB, and London had 905 yds in 2023. With Cousins and a more prevalent role in the offense, he should be eyeing the 1300 mark, so that’s a good number on the bet.
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