Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers: Best Legal Bets

After failing to topple the reigning Super Bowl champions on the road, the Atlanta Falcons are now poised to bounce back in an NFC South rivalry this upcoming weekend. The Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons matchup provides that opportunity for Atlanta.

It would not be an understatement to say that this is a borderline must-win game for the Falcons. The reason being how tough the NFC South was last year. If the Falcons are serious about winning a division that gave birth to 3 playoff contenders last season, then they can’t afford to lose any ground early on in the season. With that in mind, let’s check the legal online betting odds to see what kind of chances NFL bookmakers are giving the Falcons at home this Sunday.

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons – Sunday, September 16^th              

When: 1:00 pm ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Fox

Stream: NFL Game Pass, Fox Sports Go

Legal Betting Online Odds from oddsshark.com

Carolina Panthers +6 (-109) 44½ (-110)      +200

Atlanta Falcons -6 (-105)      44½ (-110)      -233     

Carolina Panthers 

The Panthers opened up the season by defending the home turf against a hungry Dallas Cowboys. All in all, it’s tough to say whether their 16-8 win over Dallas was thanks to a good outing on behalf of the Panthers or thanks to a crappy showing from the Cowboys. The uncertainty is due to neither side really demonstrating their capabilities. Dak Prescott looked like a rookie out there, failing to pass for more than 170 yards and finishing the day with a 81.1 passer rating. The same goes for Ezekiel Elliott, who finished the day with just 69 yards. And while that makes the Panthers’ defense look good, their offense didn’t look that great. Ultimately this is a perfect chance for the Falcons to pick off the struggling Panthers and jump right back into the mix of things in the NFC South.

Players to Watch: Cam Newton (161 passing yards, 0 TD, 0 INT), Christian McCaffrey (50 rushing yards, 0 TD, 1 F), and Devin Funchess

Atlanta Falcons

The Dirty Birds are 0-1 following their 18-12 loss to Philadelphia. All things considered, the Falcons didn’t look that poorly in their debut. Sure their offense underperformed, but they were going up against a Super Bowl winning defense. And let’s be honest, Philly’s Super Bowl run is largely thanks to their defense – despite how great Foles might have been in the postseason. The legal betting odds are pegging the Falcons as the favorites this weekend, further evidence that they should have no problems picking up the home win. Ultimately this should be a close matchup since both teams are sporting similar numbers at the current moment. But once the 4^th quarter rolls around, we can expect Newton to fall under pressure while Matty Ice takes care of business.

Players to Watch: Matt Ryan (251 passing yards, 0 TD, 1 INT), Devonta Freeman (36 rushing yards, 0 TD, 0 F), and Julio Jones (169 receiving yards, 0 TD, 10 REC).

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons Betting Predictions

Trends

• The TOTAL has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
• Carolina is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
• Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
• The TOTAL has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta’s last 10 games when playing Carolina
• Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
• Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Carolina

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons Betting Picks

So which way should Falcons fans lean in this Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons matchup? All things considered, taking the Falcons at home is your safest bet here. Taking the Panthers straight up is more lucrative, but also seems more unlikely to come to fruition. The spread seems a little iffy considering that it’s at 6 points. The TOTALs line is a better option over the spread line for this one.

Score Prediction: 31-28 Atlanta.