The Atlanta Falcons finished last season with an overall record of 7-10 which led to a 4^th place finish in the NFC South and the Falcons missing the playoffs for the 5^th consecutive season and finishing with a losing record for the 5^th consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins finished last season with a record of 9-8 which led to a 2^nd place finish in the AFC East and a spot in the AFC Playoffs, however, the Dolphins lost on the road in the Wild Card Round against the Buffalo Bills by a score of 31-34.

BookMaker has the Atlanta Falcons listed as 2.5-point favorites on the road against the Miami Dolphins and has set the total for the over/under plays at 37 points. Which team will start the preseason off with a win? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams finished last season.

Atlanta Falcons Team Preview

The Atlanta Falcons finished in 4^th place in the NFC South and missed the playoffs for a 5^th consecutive season as they finished with a record of 7-10. The Falcons were 9-8 ATS overall, 4-4 ATS on the road, and 2-3 ATS as a favorite.

Offensively, the Atlanta Falcons ranked 15^th in the NFL in points per game with an average of 21.47 points. Atlanta ranked 2^nd in rushing yards with an average of 159.88 rushing yards per game. The Falcons ranked 31^st in passing yards with an average of 158.76 passing yards per game.

Defensively, the Falcons ranked 21^st in points allowed with an average of 22.71 points per game. Atlanta ranked 23^rd in rushing yards allowed per game with an average of 130.24 rushing yards. The Atlanta Falcons ranked 25^th in passing yards allowed with an average of 231.88 passing yards allowed per game.

Miami Dolphins Team Preview

The Miami Dolphins finished last season in 2^nd place in the AFC East and made the AFC Playoffs with a record of 9-8, however, were eliminated by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round by a score of 31-34. The Dolphins were 10-8 ATS overall, 5-3 ATS at home, and 5-3 ATS as an underdog.

Offensively, the Miami Dolphins ranked 11^th in points in the NFL with an average of 23.78 points per game. The Dolphins ranked 27^th in rushing yards with an average of 96 rushing yards per game. Miami ranked 6^th in passing yards with an average of 261.11 passing yards per game.

Defensively, Miami ranked 24^th in the NFL in points allowed with an average of 24.06 points allowed per game. The Dolphins ranked 4^th in rushing yards allowed with an average of 103.28 rushing yards allowed per game. The Miami Dolphins ranked 28^th in passing yards allowed per game with an average of 239.28 passing yards.

Series Trends and Game Pick

Both teams are 5-5 in the last ten games in the series, however, Atlanta has outscored Miami by an average of 21.5 to 17.5 points per game while going 7-2-1 ATS in those matchups. The Dolphins have won two of the last three games in the series and have won by an average score of 25 to 23.33 while going 2-1 ATS in those contests.

The under has hit in seven of the last ten games in the series with the teams combining for an average of 39 points per game in those contests. The over has hit in two of the last three games in the series with the teams combining for an average of 48.33 points per game in those matchups.

Miami is the more talented team and has been the better team most recently in the series, winning two of the last three games. The Dolphins are 2-1 ATS in the last three games in the series. As a result, I am buying the .5 point and taking the Miami Dolphins +3 on BookMaker for this matchup on Friday.