NFL Overreactions Week 17
USAT’s Prince Grimes breaks down the best games of NFL Week 17 and the unfolding playoff picture.
Sports Seriously
The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons play on Sunday, Jan. 4, at the Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a game on the NFL Week 18 schedule.
Which team will win the NFL Week 18 game?
Check out these NFL Week 18 picks and NFL Week 18 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 11 a.m. MST on FOX (stream with FUBO).
The Falcons are a 2.5-point favorite over the Saints in NFL Week 18 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Atlanta is -150 on the moneyline, while New Orleans is +125. The over/under (point total) is set at 43.5 points.
Watch Saints at Falcons live on FUBO (free trial)
Jeremy Cluff writes: “The Saints have won four straight games with Tyler Shough at quarterback. Can they end the season with a fifth straight win? Yes, they can. New Orleans will have a lot of momentum for 2026.”
The site’s formula predicts that the Falcons will win the NFL Week 18 game against the Saints.
ESPN: Falcons have a 51.2% chance to beat Saints on Sunday
The site gives the Saints a 48.4% shot at winning the NFL Week 18 game, with the remaining percentage accounting for a tie.
Sportsbook Review: Bet the Saints with the points vs Falcons
C Jackson Cowart writes: “The Saints have been a completely different team with Tyler Shough under center, having won four straight in December to end Kellen Moore’s first season as head coach on a high note. I’m frankly surprised the Falcons are favored by this much; I like New Orleans to win outright.”
Sportsnaut: New Orleans Saints 24, Atlanta Falcons 17
Matt Johnson writes: “During this four-game winning streak by the New Orleans Saints, they have held opponents to just 17.3 points per game, with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough also completing 71.1 percent of his pass attempts and averaging 264.3 passing yards per game with a 102.9 QB rating. Atlanta did win this rivalry game easily a few weeks ago (24–10), but it was a six-point game until early in the fourth quarter. With New Orleans riding a wave of momentum behind its rookie quarterback, we think the Saints take down the Falcons in Atlanta to finish the year 7–10, while the Falcons fire Raheem Morris hours after the game.”
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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