On the whole Atlanta had a difficult NFL betting assignment in week one. Account of having to play at Super Bowl champion Philadelphia last Thursday night. Correspondingly the Falcons suffered a tough 18-12 defeat despite leading late in the fourth quarter. Counter to that was the successful opener for the Carolina Panthers. In fact, Carolina scored a 16-8 home payout over Dallas for the best possible start. By reason of last week’s results Atlanta should have a sense of urgency in their home opener. A loss would put them two games behind the Panthers in the NFC South.
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Date and Time: Sunday, September 16, 2018, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
NFL Betting Online Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | -5½ (-115) | 44½ (-110) |  |
| Falcons | +21 (-110) | 71 (-110) | |
| |||
Panthers vs. Falcons TV Coverage: FOX
Carolina Panthers
Carolina made quite the NFL betting statement with a 16-8 home win over Dallas. Certainly, it was a brutal defensive affair. To illuminate the Panthers outgained Dallas only 293-232. The difference was Panthers quarterback Cam Newton breaking for 58 yards and a touchdown. Supplementing that was the dominant Carolina defense. Consider as an illustration Luke Kuechly’s 13 tackles. And Kawann Short’s two sacks. Along the same lines Mario Addison strip sacked Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott to clinch the win. From this point the defensive performance puts everyone on notice about Carolina’s contender status.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta outgained Philadelphia 299-232 in a tough 18-12 defeat. The outcome was based in large part on 15 Falcons penalties. Additionally, adding to the Falcons pain was a shot from the five-yard line on the game’s final play. Quarterback Matt Ryan’s pass to Julio Jones fell incomplete to end the game as a kick in the gut. Overall the sloppy performance served to frustrate gamblers and the Falcons. Naturally a 45-minute weather delay added to the misery of Atlanta and their backers. On this occasion Ryan was sacked four times. Following this stinker, the Falcons have plenty of room for improvement.
Stats to Consider
Carolina has been quite reliable as a road dog through the years. In sum the Panthers lost just three of their last 14 as away pups. Four of their last six in that role went over the total. But Atlanta has also been a reliable home chalk. To be exact the Falcons are 7-3 vs. the line in that role. Six of their last seven as home favorites have gone under the total.
Team vs. Team
Atlanta has controlled the cashier’s cage in their offshore betting series with Carolina. To exemplify the Falcons have paid in four of their last five against the Panthers. Eight of the last ten in this series have gone under the total. In Atlanta the Falcons have really dominated the purse strings. To show Carolina has paid in just two of their last ten visits to Atlanta. And Six of the last eight between these teams in Atlanta have gone under the total.
Matchup to Watch
Balanced against last week is Atlanta’s strong NFL betting numbers in this matchup. Besides the trends the Falcons should also have the motivational edge in this game. Admittedly it would be hard for them to be as bad as last week.
Panthers vs. Falcons NFL Betting Odds Pick
To conclude the Falcons, rate the call to get back on track against their division rivals.
Panthers vs. Falcons NFL Betting Online Pick: Atlanta Falcons
Panthers vs. Falcons NFL Betting Online Score Prediction: Falcons 24, Panthers 16