by Rod Pearson
Friday, Dec 15, 2023
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, December 17, 2023
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Falcons -3, Panthers +3; Over/Under: 33.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Falcons -3, Panthers +3; Over/Under: 33.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Falcons -3, Panthers +3; Over/Under: 34 points
Season Record
Atlanta Falcons: 6-7 (2nd place, NFC South)
Carolina Panthers: 1-12 (4th place, NFC South)
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Recent Form
Atlanta Falcons: lost their last game at home against the Tampa Buccaneers 29-25.
Carolina Panthers: lost their last game on the road against the New Orleans Saints 28-6.
Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers Preview and Analysis
The Falcons are entering this game with a 6-7 record overall and they have a 3-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 2-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-1 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-25. Desmond Ridder was the starting QB and he completed 26/40 passes for 347 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Tyler Allgeier led the team in rushing yards with 40. Drake London led the receivers with 172 receiving yards on 10 receptions. Kaden Elliss led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Kentavius Street led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
The Panthers are entering this game with a 1-12 record overall and they have a 0-4 record in their divisional games too. They are 1-4 in their home games, 0-8 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the New Orleans Saints 28-6. Bryce Young was the starting QB and he completed 13/36 passes for 137 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Chuba Hubbard led the team in rushing yards with 87. Adam Thielen led the receivers with 74 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Jaycee Horn led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Frankie Luvu led the defense in sacks with 1. Derrick Brown came away with the only interception for them in that game.
Falcons vs Panthers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Falcons listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Falcons haven't looked great in their games this season with their 6-7 record overall but that record still has them right in the Wild Card race and the race for the NFC South. They are only 2-3 in their road games this season but they are playing the worst team in the NFL here which is really needed after the way they lost a heartbreaker to the Bucs in their last game. The Panthers have looked terrible in their games all season with their 1-12 record overall and they have already moved on from Frank Reich too as he was fired a few weeks ago. They are also 0-4 in the division with a 1-4 home record this season too. The Panthers offense hasn't looked good in most of their games with Bryce Young while the Falcons have had problems on offense too but still have a more consistent offense than the Panthers. The Falcons are a lot better as a team overall and they still have lots to play for here with multiple ways of getting into the playoffs still. The best way to place a bet here is on the Falcons to cover the spread in this game.
Falcons Panthers Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, December 17, 2023 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Falcons 23 Panthers 9.
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NFL Betting Trends
Atlanta Falcons: 4-9 ATS in all games. 7-13 ATS as a favorite. 2-6 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread. 28-19 UNDER in all games. 7-1 UNDER in a road game where the total is 35 or less. 9-2 UNDER after gaining 6 or more yards/play in their previous game.
Carolina Panthers: 11-3 ATS off a blowout loss by 21 points or more to a division rival. 18-7 ATS after scoring 6 points or less last game. 9-4 UNDER in all games. 12-3 UNDER as a home underdog. 11-5 UNDER versus division opponents.
Key Injuries
Atlanta Falcons: J. Okudah (CB) Prob Sun - Ankle. L. London (DL) Ques Sun - Knee. M. Hollins (WR) Ques Sun - Ankle. D. Onyemata (DL) Ques Sun - Ankle. K. McGary (OT) Ques Sun - Knee. N. Landman (LB) Ques Sun - Knee. D. Dalman (OL) Ques Sun - Ankle. K. Street (DL) Ques Sun - Shoulder. C. Lindstrom (G) Ques Sun - Ankle. J. Matthews (OT) Ques Sun - Knee. G. Jarrett (DL) I-R - Knee. J. Ali (WR) Out indefinitely - Ankle. T. Andersen (LB) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. M. Hennessy (OL) I-R - Knee. A. Ogundeji (LB) I-R - Ankle. F. Franks (TE) I-R - Lower Body. E. Greenidge (OL) I-R - Leg. I. Enechukwu (DL) I-R - Undisclosed. A. Williams (RB) I-R - Knee.
Carolina Panthers: A. Barno (LB) Ques Sun - Illness. M. Haynes Sr. (LB) Ques Sun - Back. I. Thomas (TE) Ques Sun - Ankle. J. Robinson (S) Ques Sun - Illness. J. McCray (G) Ques Sun - Calf. D. Johnson (LB) Ques Sun - Illness. D. Jamison (CB) Ques Sun - Illness. T. Tremble (TE) Ques Sun - Hip. B. Burns (LB) Ques Sun - Ankle. D. Williams (DT) Ques Sun - Knee. H. Hurst (TE) Out indefinitely - Concussion. L. Shenault Jr. (WR) Out indefinitely - Ankle. C. Zavala (G) Out indefinitely - Knee. D. Bootle (CB) Out indefinitely - Knee. A. Corbett (G) I-R - Knee. C. Wooten (LB) Out indefinitely - Ankle. L. Vilain (LB) Out indefinitely - Knee. J. Houston (LB) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. C. Cherelus (LB) Out indefinitely - Knee. G. Ricci (TE) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. S. Thompson (LB) I-R - Leg. B. Christensen (G) Out indefinitely - Bicep. H. Anderson (DE) I-R - Foot.
Notable Quotes
“We had plenty of opportunities in all three phases. We're frustrated losing like that." - Arthur Smith after his team’s loss against the Bucs in their last game.
“We shot ourselves in the foot and had catastrophic mistakes. Everything’s frustrating if I can be completely honest. How are you going to handle it? It’s tough after this loss, but we have to keep going.” - Chris Tabor after his team’s loss against the Saints in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Atlanta Falcons
WR London, Drake
WR Jefferson, Van
TE Pitts, Kyle
TE Smith, Jonnu
QB Ridder, Desmond
RB Robinson, Bijan
FB Smith, Keith
Carolina Panthers
WR Chark Jr., DJ
WR Mingo, Jonathan
WR Thielen, Adam
TE Hurst, Hayden
QB Young, Bryce
RB Hubbard, Chuba
Statistical Leaders
Atlanta Falcons
Passing: D. Ridder (2376)
Rushing: B. Robinson (790)
Receiving: D. London (745)
Touchdowns: B. Robinson (7)
Carolina Panthers
Passing: B. Young (2192)
Rushing: C. Hubbard (644)
Receiving: A. Thielen (827)
Touchdowns: A. Thielen (4)
Coaches:
Atlanta Falcons: Arthur Smith (3rd season)
Carolina Panthers: Chris Tabor (Interim)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
