New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction, odds and picks - November 18, 2021 | NFL Week 11

The New England Patriots will look to make it five wins on the trot when they travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

The Patriots have gone from 2-4 to being unanimously dubbed 'a playoff team' in the space of four weeks. That is largely due to some outstanding performances, like the one last week against the Cleveland Browns, a game they won 45-7. Another win on Thursday would see the Patriots leapfrog the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East division standings, at least until Sunday.

The Falcons have been up-and-down all season long and currently sit at 4-5 with an outside chance of making it to the playoffs. The team has been heavily reliant on quarterback Matt Ryan having an outstanding game to score wins. When Ryan struggles, the Falcons follow suit. Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, the veteran quarterback managed just 117 passing yards and two interceptions as the Falcons lost 43-3.

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons match details

Date: November 18, 2021

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA.

Time: 8:20 pm EST

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons betting odds

Spreads

New England Patriots: -7.0 (EVEN)

Atlanta Falcons: +7.0 (-120)

Moneyline

New England Patriots: -300

Atlanta Falcons: +250

Totals

New England Patriots: U47.0 (-110)

Atlanta Falcons: O47.0 (-110)

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons betting

picks

Since their Week 4 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New England Patriots are averaging 31.8 points per game. Mac Jones has shown maturity beyond his years in leading the offense, as New England have put up points aplenty. On the other hand, the Falcons have given up 29.2 points per game this season, the second-worst mark in the NFL.

Expect this to be a high-scoring game, but a lopsided one. Take the over and pick the Patriots to cover the spread.

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons key injuries

New England Patriots

The Patriots haven't listed any players as out for Thursday night's game against the Falcons. They do have plenty of big names that are questionable to play.

Among them are veteran linebackers Dont'a Hightower (ankle) and Kyle Van Noy (groin), tight end Jonnu Smith (shoulder) and offensive lineman Shaq Mason (abdomen). Running back Damien Harris (concussion) and wide receiver Gunner Olszewski (concussion), who missed Sunday's win over the Browns, practiced in a limited capacity in the lead up to Thursday.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have listed three players as out for the game against the Patriots: defensive back Kendall Sheffield (hamstring), linebacker Daren Bates (groin) and tight end Hayden Hurst (ankle).

Former Patriot Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) is questionable to play against his former side. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins (ankle) is also a doubt.

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons head-to-head

The two franchises have met 15 times in the NFL. New England lead 9-6 in all-time head-to-head record.

The Patriots have won their last six games against the Falcons. The most famous game between the two was Super Bowl 51, where Atlanta led 28-3 late in the third quarter, but a stellar comeback from New England in the fourth quarter saw them level the scores and send the game into overtime. It took Brady and the Patriots one drive to finish the game and complete the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Since that game, they have met once, when the Patriots beat the Falcons 23-7 at Foxborough.

New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction

The Falcons offense can be unstoppable at times, but their defense is statistically one of the worst in the NFL. The Patriots have four straight games, with their offense playing efficient football and their defense playing at an elite level. On paper, this is a no-contest. But as the past two weeks have shown, anything is possible in the NFL.

Prediction: The Patriots win by at least 14 points.