NINERS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST FALCONS

The San Francisco 49ers’ offense is in a major funk, and that led to the dismissal of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye on Monday.  They dropped to 0-3 after an embarrassing and non-competitive loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and for a team that was expected to contend for a divisional title the time to get things turned around is now.  They’ll try to start in a tough venue—at the Georgia Dome against the Atlanta Falcons who are tied with Tampa Bay and New Orleans for the NFC South led.

While times are tough in the ‘City by the Bay’, everything is going well in Atlanta following a big overtime win against their longtime rival—and defending Superbowl Champions—the New Orleans Saints.  Some have suggested that this was a ‘defining victory’ for Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan and while that may or may not be the case they’re feeling good about themselves after a big win in a tough setting.

NFL football betting enthusiasts immediately recognize the line value inherent in this matchup.  We’ve got a team at a ‘high point’ against a team at a ‘low point’, and one the public is happy with against one they’re ready to write off.  Being a contrarian never hurts in NFL betting, and this is a classic scenario for going against public sentiment.  The Niners are down at the moment, but it’s premature to count them out in the big picture.  The NFC West is the weakest division in the NFL, and there’s only one team remaining on the schedule that is a ‘lock’ for a winning record.  Going 11-2 or 10-3 the rest of the year is not an unrealistic scenario and even at 10-6 they’re in a good position to make the playoffs.

From a personnel standpoint, there’s really nothing wrong with this team.  Quarterback Alex Smith needs to become more comfortable within the offense, but that’ll come with time.  He’s got plenty of weapons to work with and despite the switch at offensive coordinator there shouldn’t be too much problem with continuity as QB Coach Mike Johnson takes over the role.  Defensively, the physically intimidating Niners should be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball against the more finesse oriented Falcons.

The bottom line is that this team responds to Mike Singletary as a coach. He’s got a 15-8-6 ATS mark during his coaching tenure in San Francisco and are 8-1 in their last 9 spots as an underdog.  Look for a better effort and improved offense with Mike Johnson’s tactical adjustments.  The Niners win outright as good sized underdogs in a game that goes UNDER the posted total.