Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season continues Sunday, October 31, so we’re taking a closer look at the NFC South showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, bringing you the best Panthers vs. Falcons betting pick and odds.
These two foes meet for the first time in 2021, and the Falcons opened as 3-point home favorites on Betus Sportsbook. The Panthers are +140 moneyline underdogs with a total of 46.0 points.
The Panthers’ free fall continues
The Carolina Panthers are hapless without Christian McCaffrey. They fell to 3-4 SU and ATS on the season following a heavy 25-3 defeat at the New York Giants this past Sunday, recording their fourth consecutive loss. The Panthers are winless since CMC landed on the injury list, and the Stanford product will remain on the shelf for the Week 9 clash against the Falcons.
Carolina had an awful game at MetLife Stadium last weekend. The Panthers took an early lead and then surrendered 25 unanswered points. They racked up only 173 total yards and 11 1st downs, while Sam Darnold went 16-of-25 for 112 yards and an interception.
The Panthers are now tallying 20.9 points per game (tied-22nd in the NFL) on 101.9 rushing yards (20th) and 226.1 passing yards (26th). They are yielding 20.9 points in a return (tied-7th) on 110.3 rushing yards (13th) and 197.1 passing yards (2nd).
The Falcons aim for their third win in a row
The Atlanta Falcons improved to 3-3 SU and ATS on the season following a 30-28 victory at the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. They earned the second win on the spin thanks to Yuonghoe Koo’s 36-yard field goal as time expired.
The Falcons nearly blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. Matt Ryan led the winning drive and finished 25-of-40 for 336 yards, a couple of touchdowns, and an interception. Rookie TE Kyle Pitts surpassed a 100-yard mark for the second straight outing, registering seven catches for 163 yards.
Atlanta is scoring 22.5 points per contest (tied-19th in the league) on 354.2 total yards (17th), but the Falcons are averaging only 87.8 rushing yards per game (27th). They are surrendering 29.3 points per game (30th) on 112.2 rushing yards (16th) and 250.5 passing yards (19th).
Trends:
Carolina:
- 9-4 ATS in the last 13 outings as underdogs
Atlanta:
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games against the NFC South
- 2-5 ATS in the last seven home games as favorites
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons Pick
If you like to ride the betting trends, Atlanta is your team in this matchup. The Falcons are 9-2 SU and ATS in their last 11 encounters with the Panthers. Also, the Falcons 3-1 SU and ATS over their last four outings, while the Panthers are 0-4 SU and ATS in their previous four games overall.
Anyway, this should be a hard-fought battle between a couple of bad teams. The Falcons have won three of their last four contests, but they’ve outlasted the Jets, Giants, and Dolphins in the process while losing to Washington, so I cannot take their solid run seriously. The Panthers should have enough defensive firepower to keep it close, so with three points on the table, I’m backing the underdogs.
Pick: Take Carolina Panthers +3.0 at -110
The Total:
While Carolina leans on its stout defense, Atlanta has some serious defensive issues. The Falcons have allowed 20 points to the New York Jets, who own the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL. The over is 4-1 in Atlanta’s last five games, but the under is 8-2 in Carolina’s previous ten contests at any location.
The totals look like a tricky wager, and I’ll go with the under because of the Panthers’ defense. Also, both teams struggle to run efficiently, so they could easily struggle to move the ball against each other. The Panthers will look to hurt the Falcons through the air, but they’ve already allowed a whopping 24 sacks.
Pick: Go under 46.0 points at -110
