The San Francisco 49ers will travel east again this week as they face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. The 49ers come into the game at 1-12 following an ugly collapse to the New York Jets. The Falcons enter at 8-5 after going on the road and thumping the Los Angeles Rams 42-14. It is no surprise then that the line is pretty high for the game. The Falcons have been installed as a 13-point favorite.
The 49ers have been horrible agains the spread this season. That is no surprise, but pending some more research, it might be historically bad. The 49ers are 1-12 straight up, and 2-10-1 against the spread. The winless Cleveland Browns are 2-11 against the spread. I’m looking for some more details, but according to ESPN’s David Perdum, “no team has covered the spread in fewer than three games in a season in the past 20 years.”
A double digit favorite is a tough one to bet on, but the Falcons would make a lot of sense in this one. The 49ers have struggled much of the season, and while they do show signs of life from time-to-time, this game presents a big challenge. The 49ers defense has had some positive moments, but the Falcons defense is a brutal challenge. Julio Jones is a question mark with turf toe, but the Falcons had no problem getting their offense going without Jones against the Rams. I could see the 49ers getting on the board early, but I would be surprised if it does not get out of hand in the second half.