Division winners Dallas, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay join NFC West heavyweights the Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams as teams who have punched tickets to the postseason. That leaves two remaining spots with five teams with either 8-7 or 7-8 records. With Atlanta one of those teams at 7-8, obviously the Falcons are in must-win mode.
Five of Atlanta’s seven wins are on the road but going into Buffalo (or Orchard Park to be more accurate) is no easy task especially with the Bills looking to hold off New England to win the AFC East for the second season in a row.
Buffalo (+1000) has the second-best odds among AFC teams to win the Super Bowl trailing two-time defending AFC champion Kansas City (+350) according to the NFL odds and lines.
It is looking like a blustery Western New York day will be awaiting Atlanta with temperatures in the 30s with either rain or snow likely to be falling at kickoff.
Game: Atlanta (7-8) at Buffalo (9-6)
Location: Highmark Stadium
Day/Time: Sunday, January 2, 1 p.m. ET
Television: FOX
Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under |
| Atlanta | +14½ (-115) | +650 | 44½ (-110o) |
| Buffalo | -14½ (-105) | -900 | 44½ (-110u) |
Head-to-Head
The Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills haven’t met since 2017.
The Falcons were listed as eight-point favorites against the visiting Buffalo Bills according to the NFL picks against the spread.
Atlanta rallied to tie the game on a Matt Ryan touchdown pass with eight minutes left before Stephen Hauschka booted field goals of 56 and 55 yards to give Buffalo the 23-17 win. Buffalo had dropped the previous four games to the Falcons and hadn’t beaten Atlanta since 1995.
The game went under the 47½-point total.
Atlanta Falcons
Next game: vs. New Orleans
Last Game
The Atlanta Falcons were listed by the Las Vegas odds as 7½-point favorites over the visiting Detroit Lions.
Neither team led by more than seven points at any point with Detroit twice taking a three-point lead in the first half. Atlanta took the lead early in the fourth quarter on Hayden Hurst’s touchdown catch. Detroit made it a four-point game with 2:38 left on the field goal and was driving for the potential winning score when Atlanta’s leading tackler Foye Oluokun intercepted a pass near the goal line with 33 seconds to play as Atlanta held on for the 20-16 win. It was the third time in the last four games when Atlanta failed to cover.
VIDEO: #Falcons’ Foye Oluokun on his big interception in win over Lions https://t.co/iqRKmlAs7v
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) December 26, 2021
The game went under the 43-point total and it was the sixth time in the last seven games that a game involving the Falcons went under the total.
Injury Report
Linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbe (knee) and defensive back Erik Harris (pectoral) are on injured reserve. Linebackers Brandon Copeland and James Vaughters, defensive linemen Marlon Davidson and Tyeler Davison, receiver Tajae Sharpe (foot) and defensive back Richie Grant are on the reserve/COVID-19 list
Buffalo Bills
Next game: vs. New York Jets
Last Game
The visiting Buffalo Bills were listed as one-point underdogs according to the NFL betting odds against the New England Patriots.
Josh Allen had three touchdown passes, two coming after New England scored touchdowns in the second half to make it a one-score game. The final TD pass to Dawson Knox with 2:30 to play secured the 33-21 win and gave Buffalo control of the AFC East race.
The game went over the 43½-point total on a touchdown run by New England running back Damien Harris midway through the fourth quarter. It was the third straight Buffalo game to go over the total.
Injury Report
Defensive lineman Star Lotulelei is questionable. Cornerback Tre’Davious White (knee) and linebacker Ike Boettger (Achilles) are on injured reserve. Receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis, defensive lineman A.J. Epenesa, defensive back Cam Lewis, offensive linemen Joe Feliciano and Cody Ford are on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Betting on the Game
Buffalo is just 4-3 at home winning its fifth home game of the 2021 season could be a major step toward the Bills earning a home date in the playoffs.
Buffalo safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer each have five interceptions and are the reasons why the Bills allow the fewest yards per game (287.9) in the NFL as well as the fewest passing yards (173.1). Buffalo is third in the NFL with 19 interceptions and also ranks third with 33 takeaways.
Atlanta has struggled to run the ball consistently this season as only Houston averages fewer rushing yards per game than the Falcons.
An interesting nugget for those who bet online, Atlanta lost both games and failed to cover each time when the Falcons were listed as double-digit underdogs.
The total has gone over in six of the last eight Buffalo-Atlanta matchups.
The Falcons have covered in five of their last seven road games.
