San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons: Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

Two teams heading in opposite directions will meet Sunday in Atlanta when the Falcons (8-5) host the San Francisco 49ers (1-12) as double-digit-point home favorites.

The Falcons have won four of their last six games as they try to capture their first NFC South title since 2012, while the 49ers are riding a 12-game losing streak, which includes an 0-6 mark on the road this season.

Point spread: The Falcons opened as 11.5-point favorites. The total was 51.5 early in the week.

OddsShark computer pick: Falcons 40.2, 49ers 10.8 (NFL picks on every game)

Why the 49ers can cover the spread

The 49ers have been competitive in most of their games lately, with three of their last five decided by seven or fewer points. Four of those five have also been decided by fewer than two touchdowns, including a 30-17 home loss to the New England Patriots, who are the Super Bowl favorites.

Why the Falcons can cover the spread

Atlanta obviously has a lot more to play for than San Francisco, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied with the team atop the division standings. The Falcons are 11-3 straight up in their last 14 games when hosting a West Coast team, and they have also won their last two games against NFC West teams (the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals) by an average of 23.5 points.

Tampa Bay is visiting the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, so this is the perfect opportunity for Atlanta to beat up on a squad that is really struggling.

Smart pick

San Francisco has won the past three meetings with the Falcons, but this is clearly a much worse 49ers team. Many could also argue that Atlanta is much better, although the defense remains a work in progress and has surrendered the third-most points in the NFC.

San Francisco has given up the most in the league, though, and has been unable to keep up on the scoreboard when its opponents start rolling.

This looks to be another example of that happening again, so take the Falcons to win in a rout at online gambling sites.

Betting trends

• The 49ers are 3-1 against the spread in their last four games against the Falcons.
• The Falcons are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games as a favorite.
• The total has gone under in seven of the Falcons' last nine games in December.

All betting information courtesy of OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates, OddsShark on YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.