NFL Odds, Picks & Predictions for Falcons vs. Lions: Friday’s Week 1 Preseason Matchup Landing Smart Money

NFL Odds, Picks & Predictions for Falcons vs. Lions: Friday’s Week 1 Preseason Matchup Landing Smart Money article feature image
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Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images. Pictured: Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions

  • Friday night's NFL preseason Week 1 slate gets underway at 6 p.m. ET with the Atlanta Falcons taking on the Detroit Lions.
  • Riding their popularity from the first episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks," public bettors are all over the Lions on Friday night.
  • Sharps have also taken a market-moving position on Falcons vs. Lions, a bet we break down in more detail below.

Falcons vs. Lions Odds

Falcons Odds+2.5
Lions Odds-2.5
Over/Under35.5
DateFriday, Aug. 12
Time6 p.m. ET 
ChannelNFL Network

*Odds as of Friday 

An NFL preseason Week 1 matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions would typically be the least interesting of a five-game slate, especially considering its 6 p.m. ET (and 3 p.m. PT) start.

However, this isn't your everyday matchup between two teams that combined to win just 10 games the previous season.

The Lions are featured on this season of HBO's Hard Knocks and are generating a lot of buzz as a result.

So it's reasonable to expect plenty of eyeballs on Friday night's Falcons vs. Lions matchup, and with eyeballs typically comes interest from recreational bettors.

However, it's not just the casual bettors getting down on Falcons vs. Lions.

In fact, the Action Network's NFL betting data is showing that sharps already took a big bite of this preseason Week 1 matchup.

Falcons vs. Lions Pick

The fact that NFL preseason Week 1 odds opened back on July 20 makes deciphering market movement more difficult than for normal games.

However, once we get to gameday, and the market's sharpest bettors show their hands, that task becomes much easier.