While Las Vegas is fairly certain the Eagles will win on Sunday, NFL experts aren't quite as convinced. The dissent among experts and fans alike shows just how fluid this game between two of the NFC's top teams will be. It's easy to see how one could be in two minds about which way this game will go; on the one hand you have the Falcons who on paper looks to be one of the top three teams in the NFC, while on the other you have the Eagles in the exact same situation.
What further muddies the water when trying to look at these teams is that both were fairly lackluster in their week one contests. The Eagles were able to win their game, but they weren't nearly as dominant as pundits had predicted, and while the box score may not reflect it the game was closer than it appeared. The same can be said for what happened in Chicago, as five turnovers off fumbles sunk the Falcons. We're left with two teams and we're not 100% sure what they can bring to the table yet in 2011.
Here at SB Nation our own Andrew Sharp likes Atlanta, but is really looking forward to crowd-watching. Fans at Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation, however, are very confident in Philly's chances.
Over on ESPN we have all but one expert (Marcus Allen) predicting a win by the Falcons. The Accuscore gives the Falcons a 52% chance of winning, while the fan vote is currently trending towards the Eagles.
Away from the four-letter-network it's a different story, where at CBS 3/5 experts are predicting an Eagles win.
Finally we have Peter King, whose feelings on the game mirror my own
this feels like an upset pick. I just think it's a backs-against-the-wall game for Atlanta, for a lot of reasons. They can't have Mike Vick come into his old house and own it, and Matt Ryan has to prove he can take the pressure of a game like this.
When it's all said and done I just think the Falcons have more to play for on Sunday night. While the Philadelphia may be looking to solidify their place as a 'dream team', Atlanta are playing for pride and trying to prove that they are still a part of the NFC elite. When these game arise it's normally teams in the Falcons' position who wind up on top.