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The Carolina Panthers host the Atlanta Falcons for an NFC South battle on Sunday! It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Falcons-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Falcons sit at (6-7) on the season and are in a prime position to contend for a playoff spot. As it stands now, they are in a three-way tie for the division lead along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. The Bucs have the tiebreaker at the moment after taking down the Falcons last week in a nailbitter. A win against the Panthers this weekend is huge for the Falcons as they try and win the NFC South with four games remaining.
The Panthers are (1-12) on the season. It's been a disaster for Carolina ever since they traded up to draft Bryce Young. Young is an extremely talented QB and will be the franchise cornerstone for the Panthers unless something drastic happens. However, there is very few talent around him, and clearly, the coaching staff wasn't the right one to lead this team. They will likely lose their final four games and finish with one win, and will not be drafting in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Here are the Falcons-Panthers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Falcons-Panthers Odds
Atlanta Falcons: -3 (-105)
Carolina Panthers: +3 (-115)
Over: 33.5 (-110)
Under: 33.5 (-110)
How to Watch Falcons vs. Panthers Week 15
Time: 1:00 ET/10:00 PT
TV: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), NFL Sunday Ticket if out-of-market
Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
The Falcons need this win badly. The Buccaneers (who lead the division at the moment), are facing the Green Bay Packers this week in a winable game. The Saints face the New York Giants in another winable game. For the sake of the division, the Falcons need this one. Not to mention, they could end the week with the best record in the NFC South at (4-1).
You really never know what you are going to get with this team. They have losses against the (2-11) Arizona Cardinals and (4-9) Washington Commanders, yet have beaten above-average teams like the Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Saints, and Packers. What is interesting, is the Falcons have had a very easy schedule this season. Their toughest opponents have been the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their toughest opponent remaining is the Indianapolis Colts. Atlanta has no reason to miss the playoffs with the schedule remaining.
The Falcons need to play mistake-free football on offense and they will win this game. They scored 24 points in Week 1 against Carolina and allowed just 10. With where the Falcons are now with Desmond Ridder settled in and Bijan Robinson making a name for himself, the Falcons should be able to control the game and score enough points to cover this spread on the road.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Bryce Young threw two picks against Atlanta in Week 1 which was a main factor in their loss. Carolina was up 10-7 heading into the 4th quarter of that game and had a chance to win. However, their defense couldn't hold on, and the offense was stuck since the first quarter. It's been 14 weeks since then and Carolina has struggled in every single one of those games, including the win over Houston. There is no question they will struggle once again in this matchup.
The good news is that the Panthers have nothing to lose in this game. You could see some trick players or a different game plan to try and throw off their division rival. Carolina can play spoilers for Atlanta who are trying to win the division. If the Panthers can score points early, then they will be able to hold on the cover this spread.
The Falcons have some offensive linemen banged up, so the Panthers d-line can take advantage of that by attacking Ridder and disrupting his pass game. Brian Burns and Xavier Woods are both questionable for the Panthers on Sunday. Kaleb McGary is out for the Falcons at tackle. Linebacker Bud Dupree is questionable.
Final Falcons-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Falcons have everything to lose in this game. A loss would make it very difficult for the Falcons to come back and win the division at (6-8). So with that said, take the Falcons to cover this spread and maybe consider buying a half-point to make it -2.5. Atlanta will show up and handle their business on the road and head coach Arthur Smith's name can be taken off the hot seat. I also like the over in this matchup.
Final Falcons-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Falcons -3 (-105); Over 33.5 (-110)
