Weekend Predictions: Falcons look to keep flying high at Saints

Coach Brent Key said Georgia Tech is “damn near rebuilding” during the bye week. That’s a shame. Weekend Predictions can’t relate.

I’m feeling myself after posting winning records on picks against the spread for three consecutive weeks. I’ve backed several underdogs who won straight-up. I’ve held my nose and picked big road favorites who covered the spread.

Nothing can stop me from ending my season-long losing streak at four years. No, that’s not false bravado masking insecurities about blowing it. Why do you ask?

Falcons (+2½) at Saints

Sept. 25 marked 20 years since the Saints beat the Falcons in their first game at the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. Jeff Duncan of nola.com reported that he “heard” the Falcons told the league they didn’t want to be the opponent for this game. New Orleans played the Vikings last weekend and the Falcons swept the Saints in 2025 but, OK, sure.

Michael Penix Jr.’s triumphant return has changed the outlook for the Falcons. They’re playing good defense, too. I’m not getting carried away because the Packers aren’t that good. I don’t see the Falcons winning at New Orleans, but they’ll cover the spread.

Vanderbilt (+25½) at No. 2 Georgia

Georgia coach Kirby Smart isn’t a fan of providing information about his team’s injuries beyond the required weekly SEC report. I don’t blame Smart for being secretive. He can’t afford to give any edge to multiple-touchdown underdogs.

Vandy hasn’t collapsed after star quarterback Diego Pavia’s departure. The Commodores beat North Carolina State and lost, 21-15, at Auburn while giving up a touchdown on a blocked punt. Vandy freshman quarterback Jared Curtis will play better at Sanford Stadium than Oklahoma’s John Mateer. I like the ‘Dores with the points.

Old Dominion (+2½) at Georgia State

Georgia State’s 44-30 loss at UCF was a clue that the Panthers have a legit offense. I ignored the signs when picking Northern Illinois +10½ at GSU last week. The Panthers (3-1) won 35-14. They’ve scored 30-plus points in three consecutive games during their best start since they were 4-0 in 2023. Georgia State is the pick.

Other college games of interest

No. 4 Miami (-16½) at Clemson

Nick Coppola of the Greenville News writes that this game is a chance for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to make everyone forget about the 51-10 loss to LSU in Week 1. It’s more likely it will remind those who stopped paying attention that Swinney’s program is a mess. The Tigers have lost their past six games against Top 10 teams by an average margin of 19.5 points. I’m going to trust the Hurricanes as big road favorites.

No. 5 Ohio State (14½) at No. 14 Iowa

Iowa finally forced coach Kirk Ferentz to fire his son as offensive coordinator in 2023. Since then, the Hawkeyes have a competent offense to go with their always-strong defense. Ferentz’s team is good at forcing opponents to play ugly, especially at home. That’s the perfect formula for an underdog. I’ll take Iowa and the points.

No. 7 Alabama (-6) at No. 16 Mississippi State

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is bussing his team 90 minutes to Starkville for an 11 a.m. CDT kickoff. His players say the travel plan is no big deal. “We’re a morning practice team, so I don’t think it’s going to affect us as people are worrying about right now,” defensive lineman Kedrick Bingley-Jones told tdalabamamag.com. I’m backing Bama. I already know who to blame if I’m wrong.

No. 8 Florida (-5½) at No. 25 Missouri

Billy Napier’s departure from Florida was a win-win. The Gators hired a coach who can get the most out of their talent and Napier is off to a 4-0 start at James Madison. Coach Jon Sumrall has led Florida to its highest ranking since December 2020. The Gators scored 44 points at Auburn, so I like their chances to put up points against Mizzou’s good defense. Give me the Gators and the points.

Auburn (+7) at No. 17 Tennessee

Police accused former Auburn staffer David Jenrath of passing “sensitive information” about the Tigers to competitors. ESPN reports that Jenrath allegedly sent “material related to Auburn’s recruiting evaluations” to multiple schools while using the name “Don Julio.” So, we’ve allegedly got a corruption scandal at Auburn that includes the detail of a funny pseudonym. The Tigers are so back. I’m backing the Vols to cover.

Other NFL games of interest

Packers (-3½) at Buccaneers

Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Baker Mayfield will miss a minimum of three weeks because of a dislocated thumb. That was shocking to hear. After so much time writing about the Falcons, I wasn’t aware that an NFL coach could give an injury timeline. Rookie backup QB Jalon Daniels wasn’t drafted out of Kansas, but his $272,500 contract guarantee suggests that multiple teams were interested in him. I’ll take the Bucs as home ‘dogs.

Lions (-3½) at Panthers