Atlanta Falcons vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

Two of the NFC's best teams will square off Sunday in Seattle when the Seahawks (3-1) return from their bye week to host the streaking Atlanta Falcons (4-1) as solid home favorites. The Falcons have won four in a row straight up and against the spread and are also 4-1 SU in the past five meetings.

Point spread: The Seahawks opened as seven-point favorites; the total was 46 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 26.9-19.9 Seahawks (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Falcons can cover the spread

Some could argue that Atlanta is the best team in the NFC, if not the entire NFL, due in part to a 23-16 road win over the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos as a 3.5-point underdog last week. The Falcons finally turned in a great defensive effort, and it paid off in their biggest win yet this season—and improved their postseason expectancy over 80 percent, according to PredictionMachine.com.

The Falcons sacked Denver rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch six times and picked him off once while proving they could win without their own quarterback, Matt Ryan, needing to throw for more than 500 yards. That will be critical at Seattle against a team that has won 25 of 30 games at home but failed to cover the spread 12 of 15 times in Week 6, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database.

Why the Seahawks can cover the spread

The Seahawks own the better defense and remain the better team in many people's eyes, especially oddsmakers, who still like them more to win the NFC and Super Bowl. While Seattle has not looked as dominant as many had thought the team would early on, the bye week allowed head coach Pete Carroll to address some issues, most notably on the offensive side of the ball.

Nobody needed the week off more than quarterback Russell Wilson, who has been nursing knee and ankle injuries. Wilson could very well be the key in this game considering the Falcons have given up more touchdowns than any team in the league so far this season with 14.

Smart pick

Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn is the former defensive coordinator for Seattle and knows the personnel about as well as anyone. Quinn also has an outstanding offense that has found a way to score even when wide receiver Julio Jones has been held in check. This should be a close game, with the Falcons finding a way to cover yet again.

Betting trends

The Seahawks are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games in Week 6.

The Seahawks are 25-5 SU in their last 30 games at home.

The Falcons are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams from the NFC.

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.