The New Orleans Saints kept rolling on the weekend with a win over the Carolina Panthers, while the Atlanta Falcons lost their momentum with a tough home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Falcons will be looking to make a statement in the NFC South with a home victory over the red-hot Saints on Thursday, as the two clubs hook up for the first of two meetings in the next three weeks.
With the line basically a 'pick 'em,' expect a close one in Atlanta.
The wager: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (+1)
It's unclear whether star rookie Marshon Lattimore will be able to play as he battles an ankle injury. Even if he's cleared to dress, he won't be at 100 percent, and that's bad news when Julio Jones is on the other sideline. While the Vikings held the star wideout in check, the Falcons are likely to scheme ways to find him early and often against the Saints.
The Saints' rushing attack is as good as anybody's in the league, but the Falcons' run defense has been a stout unit since giving up 201 yards to the Panthers in early November. Look for Atlanta to slow down Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram and force Drew Brees to keep up in a high-scoring affair. In that scenario, we'll take the home team to get the win. Falcons 30, Saints 27
Thursday picks record: 8-5-1
