NFL Thursday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Betting Preview

​​Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC – 1:15 AM – Friday 11th November

Falcons at Panthers Betting Odds

Falcons to win outright: 4/6 with Boyle Sports
Panthers to win outright: 6/5 with Coral
Spread: Falcons -2.5 / Panthers +2.5 – 17/20 with 888Sport
Points Total: 43.5 (Over: 10/11 | Under – 10/11)

(Odds correct as of 4 pm 10/11)

It’s another NFC South classic for Thursday Night Football as the 4-5 Atlanta Falcons look to sneak into first in the division against the 2-7 Carolina Panthers. Both are coming into this one fresh off a loss, although in very different circumstances. The Panthers were demolished by the Bengals (it was 35-0 at the half) and things were so bad Baker Mayfield played the second half. The Falcons lost in heartbreaking fashion on a late field goal to the Chargers, after quite literally letting the ball and win slip through their hands on a potential game-changing fumble in the last seconds. That said, when these two met only two weeks ago, it was an absolute classic in which the Panthers managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Having seemingly won the game on a last-second deep bomb by PJ Walker to DJ Moore, the Panthers missed the extra point and the Falcons won it in overtime. Let’s hope for more of the same chaos tonight.

Falcons at Panthers Picks

Moneyline – Falcons
Spread – Falcons – 2.5
Points Total – Under 43.5

Whilst the last matchup was a 71-point classic, tonight’s game has a very different feel about it. Both are on a short week following a tough loss, and it’s set to be a rainy evening in Carolina. With the ground game set to be key given the conditions, the Falcons will be pleased Cordarrelle Patterson made a big impact on his return from injury against the Chargers. The versatile running back scored two touchdowns in his first appearance in over a month after missing time through injury. The Falcons do have a lot of talent on this offence if utilised properly. They’ll want to get second-year tight-end Kyle Pitts more involved in the passing game, and whilst rookie wideout Drake London flashed early this season, his production has slowed since Week 4.

The Week 8 37-34 loss to the Falcons already feels like a long time ago for the Panthers’ offence. Despite the loss, the impressive offensive display seemed to confirm PJ Walker’s status as the starter for the rest of the season, yet one week later he was benched at halftime for Baker. Interim Head Coach Steve Wilks still claims Walker is the starter and has admitted part of that is down to his impressive offensive performance in the recent reverse fixture. Still, don’t be surprised if we see more of Baker Mayfield this season.

The Panthers’ defence was run ragged by the Bengals, which had been a point of pride in a disappointing season up until last week. Whilst Marcus Mariota is no Joe Burrow, he has proven to be a serviceable quarterback this season and with the return of Patterson, the Panthers will struggle to contain the threat of both on the ground, especially given the weather. I’m expecting the Falcons to control this one as they get more of their young playmakers involved on offence in a low-scoring affair.

Falcons at Panthers Player Prop Bets

Terrace Marshall Over 34.5 Receiving Yards – 17/20 with Unibet

Marshall has been used more in recent weeks and looks like a favourite target of P.J. Walker. He’s a true deep threat and all he needs is to catch one big pass and he’ll be over this line. 

Cordarelle Patterson Anytime Touchdown – 11/10 with 888Sport

It was a solid return to the lineup last week for Patterson after he spent time out with an injury, and I expect the Falcons to properly unleash him this week and get him back in the touchdown column

Marcus Mariota Under 155.5 Passing Yards – 22/25 with BetUK

P.J. Walker Under 168.5 Receiving Yards – 22/25 With Unibet

I’ve thrown these together because they follow similar thinking – the forecast is not good for this matchup, and these are both running dominant teams as it is. These two quarterbacks are hardly elite players at the position, and that coupled with the bad weather should make this one a run fest.

Tyler Allgeier Over 31.5 Rushing Yards – 5/6 With BetUK

While Patterson’s return will limit Allgeier’s playtime, there should still be plenty of opportunities for the rookie running back to get the ball in his hands. With the weather being poor and Patterson not being ready for a full complement of snaps, I think Allgeier get over this line quite easily.