Falcons 3-point favorites at Rams

The St. Louis Rams have a 7-1 spread record in their last eight games, with the ‘under’ going 5-3. Steve Spagnuolo’s crew hosts Sunday’s battle against the Atlanta Falcons, who travel to Edward James Dome after going 2-1 ATS in three straight home games.
Sports books opened Atlanta as a three-point road favorite, with an added premium of minus 125 on those NFL odds. Betting shops first set the ‘total’ at 42 ½, with early ‘over’ wagers moving the number north to 43 ½.
St. Louis lost a close fight in last Sunday’s 23-20 overtime setback as a 4 ½-point road dog against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams allowed 49ers kicker Joe Nedney to hit a 29-yard field goal in the extra stanza after being outscored, 10-3, in the fourth quarter.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford guided his club to 18 first downs in its 35 minutes of possession. The Oklahoma native finished with 251 passing yards, completing 30-of-42 attempts.
St. Louis’ Steven Jackson logged 20 rushes and eight catches for a combined 148 yards. The two-time Pro Bowl selection took in one touchdown, giving the Rams a 17-10 lead in the third quarter.
The Rams defense registered five sacks en route to allowing 421 yards. Defensive end Chris Long extended his streak of games with at least one sack to four.
The combined 43 points slipped ‘over’ the ‘total’ of 38 ½. St. Louis scored touchdowns on 2-of-3 red zone journeys, while allowing San Francisco to reach the end zone on 2-of-5 trips.
St. Louis is 4-1 ATS in its first five home dates, with the ‘under’ also 4-1. Long and Co. have allowed a stingy 12.6 PPG in that span.
Atlanta came from behind in last week’s 26-21 win as a one-point home favorite against the Baltimore Ravens. The Falcons opened up to an early 13-0 lead in the Thursday night affair, but needed a late 33-yard touchdown catch from wide receiver Roddy White to pull out a victory.
White finished with a team-high 138 receiving yards, logging 12 catches. The 29-year-old has gained 934 yards through the air this season, trailing only Denver’s Brandon Lloyd (968 yards).
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan connected on 32-of-50 passes for a season-high 316 yards. The Boston College alum survived a second straight game without an interception, notching three touchdowns in his club’s 35 minutes of possession.
The Falcons’ defense gave up 320 yards, with 204 coming through the air. Defensive end John Abraham logged two sacks, while cornerback Brent Grimes grabbed an interception for a second straight game.
The combined 47 points jumped above the ‘total’ of 43 ½, extending the ‘over’ to 4-0 in Atlanta’s last four games.
Atlanta is 2-2 ATS in its first four road games, with the ‘total’ also even at 2-2. Mike Smith’s squad has scored 18.2 PPG in that stretch, sizably less than its overall average of 24.7 PPG.
St. Louis is 5-2 ATS in its last seven meetings with the Falcons. The Rams lost the most recent duel between the foes, 31-27, in a 2008 trip to Atlanta as 14-point road dogs.
Sunday’s kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. (PT), with FOX providing television coverage in some markets.
Both squads return to action as part of next Sunday’s league slate. Atlanta returns home to face the Green Bay Packers, while the Rams begin a three-game road stretch against the Denver Broncos.