NFC South Divisional Matchup
Point Spread: Falcons -3 | Total Points: 33.5
Coming into this week’s NFC matchup vs the Panthers, the Falcons have a below .500 record at 6-7. Last time they played, the Falcons were handed a 29-25 loss by the Buccaneers. Besides their straight-up loss, the Falcons also failed to cover the spread as 1.5-point favorites. The game had an over/under line of 41.5 points, and both teams went beyond it, scoring a combined total of 54 points.
This week, the Panthers will look to snap their current six-game losing streak with a victory over the Falcons. Heading into action, the team has a below .500 record of 1-12. Taking a look at their last game, the Panthers suffered a 28-6 loss to the Saints. With their 22 point loss, the Panthers also were handed a defeat on their ATS record. Going into the game, they were 5.5-point underdogs. The over/under line for their most recent game against New Orleans was 38.5. Finishing with a combined total of 34 points, the under hit in this matchup.
Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers History
In the two head-to-head matchups last season, the Falcons and Panthers each picked up one win apiece. The two teams averaged a combined 55.5 points per game, leading to an over/under record of 1-1. Against the spread, the Panthers went 2-0. Offensively, the Panthers averaged 405.5 yards per game in the head-to-head matchups compared to the Falcons at 348.5 yards.
The last five times the Falcons have faced off against the Panthers on the road, they are above .500 at 4-1. When looking at the last three head-to-head matchups between the Falcons and Panthers, only 2 points per game has separated the teams, with the Panthers going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Notable Injuries
Atlanta Falcons
- Chris Lindstrom – Ankle (Questionable)
- Ikenna Enechukwu – Leg (Out)
- Barry Wesley – Undisclosed (Out)
- Josh Ali – Ankle (Out)
- Jacob Saylors – Undisclosed (Out)
- Troy Andersen – Arm (Out)
- Nate Landman – Knee (Questionable)
- Matt Hennessy – Knee (Out)
- Kaleb McGary – Knee (Questionable)
- Ethan Greenidge – Leg (Out)
- LaCale London – Knee (Questionable)
- Feleipe Franks – Foot (Out)
- Drew Dalman – Ankle (Questionable)
- Adetokunbo Ogundeji – Foot (Out)
- Avery Williams – Knee (Out)
- Kentavius Street – Shoulder (Questionable)
- David Onyemata – Ankle (Questionable)
- Jake Matthews – Knee (Questionable)
- Grady Jarrett – Knee (Out)
Carolina Panthers
- Justin Houston – Hamstring (Out)
- Justin McCray – Calf (Questionable)
- Shaq Thompson – Leg (Out)
- Henry Anderson – Foot (Out)
- Tarik Cohen – Hamstring (Out)
- DeShawn Williams – Knee (Questionable)
- Ian Thomas – Ankle (Questionable)
- Austin Corbett – Knee (Out)
- Hayden Hurst – Concussion (Questionable)
- Dicaprio Bootle – Knee (Out)
- Brady Christensen – Bicep (Out)
- Laviska Shenault Jr. – Ankle (Out)
- Giovanni Ricci – Shoulder (Out)
- Derek Wright – Knee (Out)
- Chandler Wooten – Ankle (Out)
- Luiji Vilain – Knee (Out)
- Taylor Moton – Knee (Questionable)
- Marquis Haynes Sr. – Back (Questionable)
- Tommy Tremble – Hip (Questionable)
- Claudin Cherelus – Knee (Out)
- Chandler Zavala – Knee (Out)
- Sam Franklin Jr. – Illness (Questionable)
- Amaré Barno – Illness (Questionable)
- Jammie Robinson – Illness (Questionable)
- D’Shawn Jamison – Illness (Questionable)
- Brian Burns – Ankle (Questionable)
Keys To Victory: Atlanta Falcons
Desmond Ridder and the Atlanta offense enter this week 15 matchup, averaging 19.3 points per contest, placing them 21st in the NFL. This season, he has completed 63.5% of his passes, leading an average of 198 yards per game in the passing attack. Overall, he is 20th among QB’s in passing yards and 22nd in attempts. Against the Panthers, the team will look to get receiver Drake London involved in the passing game. This year, he is averaging 7.0 targets per game, leading to an overall receiving yards total of 745. With an average of 132.2 rushing yards per game, the Falcons currently rank 6th in the NFL. This figure is based on 31.7 rushing attempts (3rd).
Keys To Victory: Carolina Panthers
So far this season, the Carolina offense has been averaging 15.2 points per game, ranking them 27th in the league. With a passer rating of 71.0, Bryce Young is 54th at the position. This figure has come while throwing for 2192 yards and nine passing touchdowns. If the Panthers are going to turn things around on offense, they would benefit from improving their numbers on the ground. So far, Carolina is ranked just 19th in attempts and 21st in yards.
Betting Trends
- In their last five games away from home, the Falcons have a straight-up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 16 points per game in this stretch.
- When looking at their past three home matchups, Carolina has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 11 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Carolina has an ATS mark of 2-7-1 while going 1-9 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Falcons have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Atlanta posted a straight-up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
Prediction
- Atlanta Falcons 17 – Carolina Panthers 16
