NFL odds opened the Jaguars at -2.5 with the total& at 36 but the line is available now at -3 at some books while the total has& dropped to 35.5 and even as low as 35 points at some shops. That's why it's a& great idea to have several 'outs' when making your NFL picks. Game time on& Friday night is 8:00 PM ET from Jacksonville's EverBank Field as both teams look for a win in Week 2 after poor preseason openers.

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The Atlanta Falcons& won the NFC South (13-3 SU, 11-5 ATS) by two games over the Saints last year& and many NFL bettors had them pegged to make the conference title game. However the& Green Bay Packers failed to get that memo and dispatched the Dirty Birds in the& second round of the playoffs.

Now a year older and wiser quarterback Matt Ryan& will try to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs where they hope to take that& proverbial next step.

Jacksonville (8-8& SU, 9-7 ATS) isn't anywhere close to being a serious contender and another .500& record might even be a stretch. Not that a preseason loss is a defining moment& for any team but the Jags were turned every way but loose falling 47-12 to New& England.

Head coach Jack Del Rio, whose job seemed in jeopardy every week last& season, finished 2010 with a three-game losing streak.

After last week's& performance he should be looking over his shoulder—again. In his favor is the& fact that Jacksonville's ownership group doesn't want to pay both Del Rio and& a new head coach. P.S. Jaguar fans still haven't forgiven him and general& manager Gene Smith for not drafting Tim Tebow.

Garrard is back

J-Ville's starting quarterback David& Garrard returns to the lineup after sitting out the preseason opener. Garrard& started 14 games last season throwing for 2,734 yards with 23 touchdowns and 15& interceptions. His backup will be first-round draft pick Blaine Gabbert from& Missouri who was 9 of 16 for 85 yards against New England.

Atlanta also lost its opener falling to& Miami 28-23. Ryan who played the first 15 minutes, completed six of his 10& attempts for 90 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons built a 17-0 lead. Backup& John Parker Wilson was sharp hitting on 12 of 19 for 11

Wide receivers

Falcons rookie Julio Jones had two& receptions for 43 yards and added a 12-yard TD run in his professional debut.& Veteran receiver Roddy White didn't play nor did tight end Tony Gonzalez. Two& other wideouts, Harry Douglas and Eric Weems, saw limited action.

The Jaguars top four options at the WR& spot; Jason Hill, Mike Thomas, Kassim Osgood and Jarett Dillard saw limited in& the opener.

Running backs

The Jaguars won't have Maurice& Jones-Drew as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. In his place, Richard& Murphy had seven carries for 43 yards while Rashad Jennings contributed six& totes for 28 yards. On the injury front Jacksonville will be without two other& starters due to injuries with offensive tackle Eben Britton and tight& end Zach Miller out two weeks effectively ending their preseasons.

The Falcons franchise running& back Michael Turner played most of the first quarter against the Dolphins rushing& for 21 yards on four carries. Jason Snelling got the most work with six carries& which produced 21 yards while rookie Jaquizz Rodgers pitched in with five& carries and 16 yards.

Good to know

Jacksonville recorded a 13-9 victory& over the Falcons at EverBank Field in the 2010 preseason finale giving them a& slight 4-3 advantage in the exhibition series. The two teams will also battle& during Week 15 of the regular season.

Hot and humid weather with a chance of& thundershowers are in the forecast for Jacksonville tonight. The temperature at& kick-off is expected to be near 80 degrees.

Harvey's Take: It's another preseason crapshoot but& based on their respective Week 1 performances, the Falcons offense looks pretty& sharp while the Jaguars defense needs lots of work and to me that equals an& over.

Good Luck!