Sharp money pushes up Falcons total

Julian Dickinson

With a defense like this, the 37-point total doesn’t stand a chance.

At least that’s what sharp bettors have been telling the books.

The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t stop the Titans last weekend and with a rash of injuries continuing to plague the Falcons’ training camp, their chances of shutting down the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday aren’t too hot either.

Maybe that explains why bettors have pushed the total up a full two points at some sportsbooks since Monday. The line opened at 37 points at most books and it’s gone as high 39 after oddsmakers received heavy action on the over.

“We received a couple of sharp bets on the over and we adjusted the line because of it,” said Betcris.com oddsmaker Shane Catford. “But we’re a bit more sensitive in the preseason. Normally for it move that much in the regular season, it would take two or three times that action to affect a change like that.”

Last Friday, Tennessee tore apart the Falcons defense, particularly through the air, completing 36 of 54 passes to 15 receivers to rack up a whopping 411 passing yards (7.6 yards per catch). The way the Atlanta secondary trailed two steps behind the Titans’ receivers all night, it’s surprising the 40-point total wasn’t felled more easily in the 24-21 final.

But some key defensive players watched the game from the sidelines and their contributions were sorely missed as receivers roamed the field almost freely. The defense won’t be much improved on Thursday with linebackers Keith Brooking and Ed Hartwell both still out of the lineup and cornerback Jason Webster also nursing a pulled hamstring that held him out of the Titans game.

That’s not good news against a Jaguars team that seems to have solved the problems that left them in last place in the AFC in scoring offense last year. They rolled over the totals in both of their preseason games this summer.

With quarterback Byron Leftwich expected to play the first half and the return of starting running back Fred Taylor from knee surgery, the Jaguars should be even more potent.

Oddsmakers have the Jaguars set as 3-point home favorites.

and how many pts did the Jags score? :lol: