The 11-4 Carolina Panthers close out their regular season with a trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to tangle with the NFC South rival 9-6 Atlanta Falcons this Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. (ET) start on FOX
Carolina at Atlanta Game Overview
Carolina needed some late-game heroics to get past Tampa Bay 22-19 this past Sunday to lock up a playoff spot in the NFC. It is still in the running with New Orleans for the NFC South Division title at 11-4 straight-up, but it is now 9-5-1 against the spread after failing to cover its last time out as a heavy 10-point favorite at home. The Panthers will go back on the road with a 5-2 record ATS in seven previous road games this season. The total has gone OVER in four of their last six road games.
Cam Newton punched the ball into the end zone from two yards out with less than a minute to play to seal the victory against the Buccaneers. He was the team’s leading rusher in that game with 52 yards on 14 carries to go along with his 160 yards passing. You get the feeling that it is going to take another strong effort by Carolina’s defense to get past the Falcons this Sunday. This unit has held opposing teams to an average of 20.3 points per game this season.
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The Falcons came up on the wrong end of a 23-13 loss to New Orleans on Sunday to fall to 9-6 SU on the year. They still control their own playoff destiny in the NFC with the ability to clinch the other wild card spot in the conference with a win this Sunday. Atlanta falls to 6-9 ATS after failing to cover as five-point road underdogs against the Saints, but it remains above .500 at 4-3 ATS in seven previous home games this season. The total has stayed UNDER in five of its last six games played at home.
The star power on the Falcons’ offense was relatively quiet against the Saints in terms of scoring points after being held to 331 total yards. Matt Ryan connected on 22 of his 36 passing attempts for 288 yards including seven throws to Julio Jones for 149 yards, but Atlanta only added 67 yards on the ground on 20 carries. When it comes to the other side of the ball, the Falcons are 10th in the NFL in yards allowed and this unit matches Carolina’s points-allowed average of 20.3.
Carolina at Atlanta at Carolina Game Betting Trends
- The Panthers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games while posting a 7-2 record ATS in their last nine road games. The total has gone OVER in five of their last six games overall.
- The Falcons have failed to cover in eight of their last 12 games, but they have won eight of their last 12 home games SU. The total has gone OVER in 13 of their last 18 games at home.
- Head-to-head in this NFC South tilt, Atlanta lost the first meeting this season 20-17 as a three-point road favorite, but it has a 7-2 edge both SU and ATS in its last nine home games against Carolina. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last seven matchups played in Atlanta.
