FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are riding positive momentum into their Week 18 rematch Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons have won their last three consecutive games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, in that order. The Saints have won their last four games in a row, topping the Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Next York Jets and Tennessee Titans.
From Weeks 15-17 the Saints are sixth in the NFL with an average of 390.7 yards per game, while the Falcons are seventh with 387.7, showing both offenses have been able to move the ball recently. On the flip side, the Saints are allowing an average of 270.7 yards per game during that span, which ranks fourth in the league. The Falcons are allowing an average of 340.3 yards per game, which checks in 19th. So, Atlanta's defense will need to step up to better limit New Orleans — and to be fair, the Falcons did just play the No. 1 offense in the Rams and won.
Suffice to say, Sunday's finale will likely do the rivalry justice, just like it has in the past given the tied 56-56 regular-season record between these two teams.
"It was nice to go out there and get one win versus those guys," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "It'd be better to get two."
With that in mind, many NFL experts have revealed their Falcons-Saints picks. Check out the full list below:
| Author | Outlet | Pick |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Fowler | ESPN | No Pick |
| Dan Graziano | ESPN | Saints |
| Pamela Maldonado | ESPN | Falcons |
| Lindsey Thiry | ESPN | Falcons |
| Bucky Brooks | NFL Network | Falcons |
| Daniel Jeremiah | NFL Network | Falcons |
| Colleen Wolfe | NFL Network | Saints |
| Adam Rank | NFL Network | Falcons |
| Claire Brennan | Sports Illustrated | Saints |
| Gilberto Manzano | Sports Illustrated | Saints |
| Matt Verderame | Sports Illustrated | Saints |
| Conor Orr | Sports Illustrated | Falcons |
| Vic Tafur | The Athletic | Falcons |
| Pete Prisco | CBS Sports | Saints |
For more complete picks and analysis, visit: ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and NFL Network.
