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Columnist Dean Juipe: Is Atlanta This Year's St. Louis?

A year ago at this time you could have had the St. Louis Rams at 80-1 to win the 2000 Super Bowl.

If you had the necessary three ingredients -- the insight, the nerve and the bankroll -- you could have made a fortune. The Rams turned in a storybook season and won the grand prize.

This season's St. Louis Rams?

Lem Banker thinks it's the Atlanta Falcons. And he's the kind of guy who always puts his money where his mouth is.

"I've got a bunch of tickets on the Falcons," the noted sports gambler said Monday. "The whole trick of sports gambling is money management and getting the right price, and the Falcons are the best value on the board.

"They're up at a ridiculous price."

It seems to have been quickly forgotten but only two seasons ago the Falcons were in the Super Bowl, losing to the Denver Broncos after a 14-2 regular season. But last season was a polar opposite, as they suffered through multiple, destructive injuries and finished 5-11.

The result: Around town right now, with the opening of the National Football League season only days away, sports-book operators are being charitable when it comes to the Falcons.

They're 60-1 at Caesars Palace to win the 2001 Super Bowl, and 47-1 at the Gold Coast.

The over-under on the season win total is a very reachable 7 1/2 as well. Banker said he couldn't resist.

"I like the Falcons' offensive execution, they've got a great running back -- Jamal Anderson -- and a coach -- Dan Reeves -- who's coming back from cancer, so it's like God is in his corner, too," he said. "I like the Falcons all the way around."

Banker has taken the reins of the Atlanta bandwagon and it has nothing to do with the Falcons' 4-1 record in the preseason. "No, not at all," he said, when asked if that respectable record had influenced his play.

"I just think 60-1 is a huge price for a team that almost won it all two years ago," he said. "Their toughest competition in their division and in the NFC is the Rams, and in the long run I think they can beat them."

Sports Illustrated takes a dimmer view of the Falcons -- a disparagingly dimmer view, in fact.

In its current issue the magazine lists Atlanta as only the 26th best team in the 31-team league, and supports its position with a series of statistics from 1999. For instance, the Falcons were 30th in rushing and 27th in overall offense last season.

But Anderson is back from knee surgery, although he was hindered by an inflamed ACL in camp and averaged only 1.5 yards per carry during the preseason. He and quarterback Chris Chandler have to stay healthy for Banker's forecast to have a chance of ringing true.

"It's like having a terrific car," he said analogously. "If the transmission goes out, that's it. The Falcons can't afford any serious injuries like they had last year."

Ah, last year.

"Who would have thought the Rams would do what they did?" Banker asked, knowing the answer was next to zero.

So he's going on record and backing a team the bookies seem to have overlooked. Act upon the tip or ignore it at your own risk.

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