a new week in the 2021 NFL season, which means that it’s time for another Thursday Night Football matchup. Week 11’s clash is a Super Bowl 51 rematch as the New England Patriots (6-4) pay a visit to the Atlanta Falcons (4-5). The Patriots haven’t lost a game to the Falcons since 1998, so all that’s left is to find out whether that tradition will continue or if Atlanta will put that streak to an end.
Read on for betting odds (BetOnline) and analysis as to what you can expect in tonight’s Patriots vs Falcons Thursday Night Football matchup.
Patriots vs Falcons General Information and Statistics
Tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia — home of the Falcons. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. EST and the game can be viewed on FOX and the NFL Network, as well as multiple streaming platforms.
The Patriots are averaging 27.5 points per game this season, which is the sixth-best average so far this season. Meanwhile, the Falcons average 19.8 PPG — eighth-worst in the NFL. Defensively, New England is surrendering 17.7 PPG (2nd) while Atlanta has been giving up an average of 29.2 PPG (31st).
Thursday Night Football: Patriots vs Falcons Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, November 18
- New England Patriots (6-4) vs Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
- Moneyline: Patriots (-310) vs Falcons (+260)
- Spread: Patriots -4.0 (-105) vs Falcons +4.0 (-115)
- Total: 47.0 — Over (-108), Under (-112)
- Head-to-Head: Patriots are 6-4 against the Falcons in their last 10 games.
The complete odds list and prop bets are available at BetOnline.ag.
Patriots Looking to Continue Newfound Momentum
The 2020 NFL season marked the first time since 2000 that the Patriots finished with a sub-.500 record. Now, New England looks like a much better team this year, proven by its 6-4 record entering Week 11. In fact, the team is currently on a four-game win streak and has won five of their last six contests overall. Needless to say, momentum is on New England’s side ahead of Thursday Night Football.
The Patriots will get an offensive boost Thursday with running back Damien Harris returning to the team after spending last week in concussion protocol. Rookie RB Rhamondre Stevenson filled in as the starter in Week 10, rushing the ball 20 times for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns. New England hasn’t been shy rushing the ball over their last three games (37.3 attempts), so both rushers should find a decent amount of work. It also helps that the Falcons are giving up 166.0 rushing yards per game at home — the most in the NFL.
The Falcons mustered up a total of three points against the Dallas Cowboys last week, meaning it could be a big day for New England’s defense. They’re one of the top units in the league and now they get to go up against Matt Ryan, who has four interceptions in his last three games. If both the offense and defense come to play, the Patriots may find themselves in the Super Bowl conversation soon.
Falcons Thursday Night Football Odds
The Falcons are the clear-cut underdogs entering Thursday Night Football, with BetOnline giving them +260 odds to pull off the upset. After all, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Atlanta this season.
The Falcons have been one of the best teams this season at… being consistently inconsistent. After all, this is the pattern that their games have gone in:
- L-L-W-L-W-W-L-W-L
No matter what the Falcons do, they just can’t seem to build momentum. Last week’s 43-3 loss to the Cowboys certainly brought the team back down to Earth. If Atlanta can rebound from that with a valiant effort, it’s possible the season can still be saved. If not, there’s no telling how much the fans can take.
It’s already an uphill battle for the Falcons with pass-catching and rushing threat Cordarrelle Patterson being a game-time decision because of an ankle issue. Another key to keeping up with the Patriots will be Ryan playing better than he did last week. The 36-year-old veteran completed a season-worst 42.9% of his passes for 117 yards and a pair of interceptions. New England’s defenders will eat that kind of performance up, which is why the Ryan who beat the New Orleans Saints a few weeks ago needs to be the one to show up again.
At the end of the day, the Thursday Night Football matchup could also come down to the Falcons defense. They’ve been one of the worst units all season while New England’s offense has been at the opposite end of the spectrum. If there was ever a time for Atlanta’s D to step up, tonight would be the night.
