Atlanta Falcons (1-6) at Carolina Panthers (3-4)
The Atlanta Falcons visit the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET. Here’s our Falcons-Panthers Betting Guide.
All odds and lines from PointsBet, current as of Monday at 10 p.m. ET.
Falcons-Panthers Betting Guide
Falcons-Panthers Odds and Betting Lines
- Against The Spread: Panthers -2.5 (-110) / Falcons +2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Panthers (-150) / Falcons (+130)
- Total: 49.5 — Over 49.5 (-110) / Under 49.5 (-110)
- Implied Team Totals: Panthers 26, Falcons 23.5
Panthers vie for season sweep of visiting Falcons on TNF.
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Falcons-Panthers Injury Report
Falcons
- WR Julio Jones (hip), Questionable
- WR Russell Gage (knee), Questionable
- C Alex Mack (knee) Questionable
Panthers
- RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle), IR to return
- LT Russell Okung (calf), Questionable
- RG John Miller (ankle), Questionable
Falcons-Panthers Players to Watch
ATL WR Julio Jones is listed as questionable but is expected to play Thursday night. Since sitting out the Week 5 contest between these two teams (a game the Panthers won 23-16), the WR has had back-to-back 8-catch games, totaling 234 receiving yards and two TDs.
Jones faces a Panthers secondary that allowed fellow ATL WR Calvin Ridley to go for 8 catches and 136 yards as Julio watched from the sidelines. Jones is the best player in the Falcons’ offense and could help improve ATL QB Matt Ryan’s woeful numbers from the first contest (21-for-37 for 226 yards and one INT).
CAR QB Teddy Bridgewater threw for more than 300 yards when these teams met earlier this season, and I see no reason why he can’t do it again. Bridgewater threw for two touchdowns in that game, including one to CAR RB Mike Davis, who racked up nine catches for 60 yards and another 89 yards on the ground on 16 rushing attempts.
CAR WR Robby Anderson led the Panthers in receiving that day, going for eight catches and 113 yards. With the short week, we could see similar outcomes from these players on TNF, along with the potential return of CAR RB Christian McCaffrey.
Falcons-Panthers Weather Report
The weather report for Bank of America Stadium calls for an overcast night with a 67 percent chance of showers and a 37 percent chance of thunderstorms from Tropical Rainstorm Zeta.
The temperature is forecast for 56 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wind gusts of up to 17 mph are expected as well.
Falcons-Panthers Betting Guide
BEST BET: Panthers -2.5 (-110)
The only real difference between this game and the teams’ Week 5 contest is that Julio is likely to play in this one. The Panthers won that game by 7 points, despite being 3-point underdogs.
However, the Panthers get homefield advantage on Thursday, and I don’t think Jones’ availability is enough to swing the tide.
I like the Panthers to cover the spread at home.
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CONSIDER: Panthers (-150)
This should be a close game, and if you aren’t comfortable giving the underdog Falcons 2-plus points, then taking the Panthers moneyline is a play to consider. The additional risk going from -110 to -150 odds isn’t all that much, if you don’t trust Carolina to cover.
PASS: Over/Under 49.5 (-110)
I typically like to stay off the Over/Under for Thursday night games due to the lack of preparation available to the teams. There’s also no data favoring either side as the Over and Under have each hit three times in six games.
Pauly Parlays is 21-11-2 on his NFL Best Bets in 2020.
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