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The Atlanta Falcons will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 14 in this NFC South matchup. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Falcons-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Falcons and Panthers will each be looking to keep their playoff hopes alive in this Week 14 divisional matchup. The loser of this game would seemingly have little to no chance of getting a wild card spot. Whoever wins this one will move to 6-7 and have a shot to make things interesting for themselves in the final few weeks of the season. The Falcons have been up and down all season, and have dropped three of their last four games to fall to 5-7. The Cam Newton experiment is not going well so far for Carolina, who just lost Christian McCaffrey to injury yet again. The Panthers come in as slim home favorites over the Falcons in this one.
For more insight on the Falcons-Panthers matchup in Week 14, listen below:
Here is how FanDuel set the Falcons-Panthers odds for this Week 14 NFL matchup.
NFL Odds: Falcons-Panthers Odds
Atlanta Falcons +2.5 (-114)
Carolina Panthers -2,5 (-106)
Over 41.5 (-110)
Under 41.5 (-110)
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Why The Falcons Could Cover The Spread
The Falcons will have the edge at quarterback in this one, and that is something that keeps them in games vs. teams with poor QB play. Atlanta has several issues across their roster, but if their offensive line is able to give Ryan protection, he can still make plays and make the Falcons' offense into something decent. The issue is that Atlanta's offensive line struggles vs. any opponent with a decent defensive front, and they aren't good enough on defense to win a low scoring game. Atlanta should have a good chance to cover and win vs. the Panthers on Sunday, however. Carolina has been struggling and is missing their best player in McCaffrey.
This could be a bit of a low scoring game potentially, as the Panthers have been struggling on offense but have a solid defense that already shut down the Falcons once this season. Ryan with the points is an appealing draw, but it's hard not be a bit hesitant to put money on Atlanta to cover such a slim spread on the road.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
Carolina has battled injuries and inconsistent QB play all season. They will be without their best player offensively Sunday. Luckily for them the Falcons do not have a great defense, so they might be able to run the ball on them and generate some points. The Panthers are just 2-4 at home this season and have lost three of their last four games overall. It seems like a risky proposition to bet on the Panthers as a favorite right now vs. a veteran QB like Matt Ryan. Carolina is 5-7 against the spread this season, but they are operating shorthanded offensively at the moment.
Final Falcons-Panthers Prediction & Pick
Take the Falcons and the points in this matchup. Neither of these teams has been good of late, but at least you somewhat know what to expect from Ryan. Carolina's offense is a huge question mark coming into this one. They will need to lean heavy on their run game as they have not had good QB play all season. This may be a game where you just stay away from it because neither of these teams deserves to be trusted, but if you have to make a pick, take Atlanta.
Final Falcons-Panthers prediction & pick: Falcons +2.5 (-114)
