NFL Playoffs Sports Betting Falcons vs Cardinals Simulation

Atlanta Falcons vs. Arizona Cardinals 4:30 ET NBC

Weather: Indoors.

Not many forecasted this to be a Wild Card match-up at the beginning of the NFL betting season, nonetheless, the Atlanta Falcons (11-5, 9-7 ATS) will look to continue its unbelievable single season turnaround when it makes the trip to the desert to collide with the Arizona Cardinals (9-7, 9-7 ATS); kick-off is slated for 4:30 ET and the game can be seen nationally on NBC. The Falcons broke even for NFL bettors on the road this season by compiling a 4-4 ATS mark while Arizona produced a decent return posting a 5-3 home ATS record.

Atlanta clinched a playoff birth back in Week 16 with a win at Minnesota, and could have earned the #2 slot and a “Bye” if Carolina tripped up last week at New Orleans. The Panthers would have lost outright if not for K John Kasay’s late game heroics, so first year head coach Mike Smith and the Falcons must now head west for this wild card match-up.

Arizona tripped and stumbled its way to a 9-7 SU overall mark to get back to the post-season for the first time in 10 years. The Cardinals hope they can finally take their name off the list of teams that have never reached the Super Bowl this time around, but they’ll need to play a much better brand of football against stout competition in order to do so.

These clubs last met way back in Week 16 of the 2007 season in a game that saw the Cardinals escape with a three-point overtime win (30-27). That was just another cover for the Falcons in this series as they’ve been pointspread gold for football bettors against Arizona compiling a 4-1 ATS mark throughout the L/5 meetings. Atlanta’s also a perfect 4-0 ATS as road favorites of 0-3 points the L/4 times, and won in that role at Oakland 24-0 earlier this season. The Cardinals have been dreadful as an underdog of late going 2-7 ATS the L/9 times; they split in that role twice at home this season winning outright in overtime against the Cowboys and losing ATS to the Giants. This has also been a high scoring series with the over cashing for ‘total’ bettors in 6 of the L/7 meetings; it’s also a perfect 4-0 the L/4 times these teams have squared off in Arizona.

FINAL SCORE: ATLANTA 37 ARIZONA 30

This game simulation calls for an Atlanta cover and for the game to go over the posted ‘Total’. You can get Atlanta (-2) –110 and the over 51.5 –110 at BetUS.com right now!!!

QB Matt Ryan: 23/38 244 yards 1 TD 1 INT

QB Kurt Warner: 26/42 359 yards 1 TD 0 INT

RB Michael Turner: 27 carries for 126 yards 1 TD Long of 37

RB Edgerrin James: 19 carries for 76 yards 2 TD Long of 8

WR Harry Douglas: 9 receptions for 109 yards 1 TD Long of 26

WR Anquan Boldin: 11 receptions for 174 yards 1 TD Long of 93

The 2008-09 NFL Playoffs couldn’t have asked for a better start as both the Falcons and Cardinals looked as if they’d pull it out to advance to the next round. Both offenses flourished in the first half, but only Atlanta managed a score in the 3rd quarter that turned out to be the winning margin of victory. Newly elected offensive player of the year, Matt Ryan, put forth a solid showing in his first playoff start as the “feel good story of the year” propelled itself into the divisional round of the playoffs…