San Francisco at Atlanta
When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 20, 2013
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FOX.
Line: 49ers -3.5. O/U: 48 –
Prediction: 49ers 35, Falcons 24

Kaepernick faced the questions that any first-time starter faces going into his first playoff game and answered every one against the Packers. After throwing an interception on his first series, Kaepernick set a playoff record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 181 and passed for 276, totaling four touchdowns along the way. The 25-year-old made a strong connection with wide receiver Michael Crabtree and helped open things up on the ground for Frank Gore, who rushed for over 100 yards (119) for the first time since Week 7. Defensively, San Francisco finished third in the NFL during the regular season but showed some cracks in the first half against Aaron Rodgers and company in the divisional round. Defensive tackle Justin Smith is dealing with a torn triceps and the 49ers struggled at times to get pressure on Rodgers.

The 49ers were a 45-31 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Packers. They covered the 3-point spread as favorites, while the total score (76) made winners of OVER bettors.

San Francisco: 11-4-1 SU, 9-7 ATS
When playing in January are 7-3
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 6-3-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco’s last 5 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco’s last 7 games when playing Atlanta
San Francisco is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road

Ryan does not have the same ability to escape the pocket that Rodgers has and will need more from his offensive line against the San Francisco pass rush. Ryan finally proved he could win a playoff game last weekend, throwing three touchdown passes and driving Atlanta for the game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Overlooked is the fact that the Falcons’ defense put Ryan in the position to come back by breaking down in the fourth quarter. Ranked 24th in the regular season, Atlanta’s defense allowed Wilson to pass for 385 yards and rush for another 60 while squandering a 20-point lead. Defensive end John Abraham, who will be one of the keys to keeping Kaepernick in the pocket, tweaked his ankle against the Seahawks and is listed as questionable for this week, though the Falcons expect him to play. Atlanta has had trouble with mobile quarterbacks like Wilson and Cam Newton, who used a similar read-option offense to put up 58 points in two regular-season games.

Atlanta was a 30-28 winner in its last match at home against the Seahawks. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 58 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Atlanta: 13-3 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 8-2
When playing outside the division are 10-0
Atlanta is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games

The post San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons Free Betting Pick & Matchup appeared first on IdealCapper.

Seattle at Atlanta
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 13, 2013
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
Line: Falcons -2.5, O/U 46

Oddsmakers currently have the Falcons listed as 3-point favorites versus the Seahawks, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

Seattle did not deviate from its game plan despite the early two-touchdown deficit at Washington and rallied behind rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards on eight carries. Wilson continues to play with the poise of a veteran, throwing 17 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in the past nine games. He has the luxury of a sledgehammer behind him in running back Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a season-high 132 yards and a touchdown. Lynch, who finished third in the league with 1,590 yards, has reeled off five straight 100-yard games and 11 overall this season. He had only 24 yards on eight carries in last season’s 30-28 loss to the Falcons in Seattle. The defense suffered a huge blow with an injury to DE Chris Clemons, who leads the team with 11.5 sacks.

Last time out for Seattle, they were a 24-14 winner as they battled the Redskins on the road. The Seahawks covered in the match as a 3-point favorite, while 38 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Seattle: 11-5 SU, 11-5 ATS
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home

Atlanta won its first seven home games before falling to Tampa Bay in a meaningless regular-season finale. That gave Ryan a 33-6 career record at the Georgia Dome. The former No. 3 overall pick posted career highs with 4,719 yards and 32 touchdowns passes and has perhaps the league’s most complete receiving corps at his disposal. Roddy White and deep threat Julio Jones each surpassed 1,100 yards and combined for 17 scoring passes while ageless tight end Tony Gonzalez hauled in 93 receptions for 930 yards and eight touchdowns. The running game ranked just 29th in the league with an average of 87.3 yards. Michael Turner posted only two 100-yard games and ran for more than 52 yards once in the second half of the season. Atlanta’s defense surrendered an average of 18.7 points and will hope sack leader John Abraham (10) is recovered from an ankle injury.

Atlanta was a 22-17 loser in its last match at home against the Buccaneers. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 39 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Atlanta: 13-3 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 10-0
Atlanta is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing Seattle

Prediction: Falcons 23, Seahawks 21.

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