The offseason has ended and the NFL schedule has been officially released. At long last, we know the identity of the Atlanta Falcons’ opponent in Week 1: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The “Arthur Smith revenge bowl” should be an entertaining contest, and the oddsmakers seem to agree: the Falcons opened as just 2.5-point home favorites against the Steelers per DraftKings Sportsbook.
At first glance, that number might seem a little low—until you realize that Atlanta hasn’t beaten Pittsburgh since 2006 and has an abysmal 15-2-1 all-time record against the Steelers. So it’s understandable that the oddsmakers are hesitant to give the Falcons too much credit, despite Atlanta probably having the superior team on paper.