2023 · Week 18 · Division

Final

Falcons

Atlanta

QB Desmond Ridder

17·48

Saints

New Orleans

QB Derek Carr

Mercedes-Benz Superdome · dome · sportturf

Closing spread

NO -3.5

Total

41.5

Model margin

+3.8est.

NO perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Saints
  • Falcons

How each play moved the game.

Saints winsFalcons wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Falconsedge mapSaints
  • -0.089EPA / play-0.015
  • 41.5%Success rate42.2%
  • -0.026EPA / dropback+0.052
  • -0.171EPA / rush-0.113
  • 8.7%Explosive rate8.0%
  • -3.52CPOE+1.94
  • 40.2%Third-down rate39.4%
  • 53.3%Red-zone TD rate57.6%
  • 1.58Points / drive1.82
  • 2.5%Turnover rate1.4%

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

NO lead 32–22 since 1999

ATL have won 2 straight. Meetings average 46.9 points. NO are 30-24 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W18NO @ ATL1719ATL
2025 · W12ATL @ NO2410ATL
2024 · W10ATL @ NO1720NO
2024 · W4NO @ ATL2426ATL
2023 · W12NO @ ATL1524ATL
2022 · W15ATL @ NO1821NO
2022 · W1NO @ ATL2726NO
2021 · W18NO @ ATL3020NO

Box score

Individual performances

Falcons

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Desmond Ridder22/3029121
Logan Woodside3/42701

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Bijan Robinson11282.50
Tyler Allgeier6244.00
Cordarrelle Patterson5204.00
Logan Woodside166.00
Desmond Ridder200.00

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Derek Carr22/2826440

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Kendre Miller13735.61
Taysom Hill6518.50
Jamaal Williams14261.91
Derek Carr166.00
Lynn Bowden1-2-2.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +3.53.7%6.7%7.5%3.2%4.9%3.1%2.8%

Positive margins favour Saints; negative favour Falcons.

Half-point at risk

2.55%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

59.3%

Expected total

43.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.11
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+3.82