3 intriguing Falcons prop bets vs. the Saints

Let’s be abundantly clear: No one — and I mean no one — should gamble on a game between the 3-7, Kirk Cousins-starting Atlanta Falcons and the 2-8 New Orleans Saints.

Even if doing so were legal in Georgia.

Consider this a fun(?) way to analyze said contest … and keep in mind that I hit on exactly zero of last week’s picks.

EASY: Over/under 39.5 total points

Yeah, that’s a pretty low number. And no, I don’t see these teams eclipsing it — not with Cousins playing quarterback opposite rookie Tyler Shough, who has just three starts under his belt.

It’s certainly possible Atlanta’s rushing attack and New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara put up big totals against the shoddy run defenses their respective opponents bring into the Superdome … but this one feels like a 20-17 affair to me.

(Which, of course, means the final score will actually fall somewhere around 35-31).

INTERESTING: More passing yards, Cousins or Shough?

Quarterbacks don’t really “square off” against each other, even if goofy little media types like me enjoy framing things that way. That said:

• Cousins has looked limited in short stints of playing time this season, and the Saints actually have the NFL’s ninth-ranked passing defense.
• Drake London is out, leaving Kyle Pitts and a still-getting-his-act-together Darnell Mooney as Cousins’ best receiving options.
• Shough is coming off a bye week and the best performance of his run as New Orleans’ starter: 19-of-27 for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Carolina.

Cousins is the favorite here (-140 vs. +108), but it’s hard to expect too much from him. I’m leaning Shough.

OUT THERE: Robinson, Allgeier and Mooney touchdowns

This is actually … kind of feasible? But only if you’re comfortable relying on the Falcons to score at least three touchdowns.

Running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier both scored last week against Carolina, the third game that’s happened in this season. (The others: Atlanta wins against Washington and Buffalo.) Mooney arguably looked the most comfortable he has postinjury, too.

Then again, Mooney’s game is about stretching the field, and the current version of Cousins seems more comfortable and capable with short passes. To wit: Pitts recorded nine catches for 59 yards in Cousins’ start against Miami a few weeks ago.