What an absolute beauty we have in store here for Thursday Night Football…. The Atlanta Falcons (4-5) head to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, where they take on fellow NFC South strugglers the Carolina Panthers (2-7). Whilst I say absolute beauty with tongue firmly in cheek, in fairness these teams played two weeks ago in what turned out to be the game of the week, with the Falcons coming home 37-34 winners in overtime. And whilst both teams had something to play for in that contest, there is only one team here with a chance at a playoff berth, and that could ultimately prove the difference in this one.
We went 1-2 on Monday Night Football, with the Saints giving us an insipid first half display, outplayed 27-13 by the Baltimore Ravens. Only a tiny loss for the game, with our record for prime time now sitting at 14-11-1 (+5.12u).
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Preview & Betting Tips
Bank of America Stadium, Friday 12:15pm AEDT
Last Week
The Falcons hosted the Chargers in a game of two bumbling franchises doing their best to lose the game from winning positions. The Austin Ekeler fumble in the final two minutes summed this game up, and thankfully the Chargers kicker was able to put the game away and we didn’t have to watch any overtime. The Falcons continued running the ball effectively, and welcomed back star running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who ran for 44 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marcus Mariota continues to offer nothing in the passing game, so expect plenty of touches for Patterson, Tyler Allgeir and Caleb Huntley in the running game.
The Panthers were horrific last week, with their first half being the worst performance I’ve seen from any team all season. They trailed the Bengals 35-0 at the main break, with PJ Walker being benched after his poor first half (3/10 for 9 yards passing, 2INT). Joe Mixon obliterated the Panthers, running for 153 yards and 4 touchdowns, whilst also gaining 58 yards and scoring 1 touchdown through the air. I’m not entirely sure if this was the Panthers downing tools for the year, of if they were looking ahead to this clash with the Falcons on a short week, but either way this was not at a level a professional football team should be operating.
Injury Report
Atlanta Falcons
A.J. Terrell / Casey Hayward (CB) – OUT
Erik Harris (FS) – OUT
Matt Hennessy (C) – OUT
Jalen Mayfield (OT) – OUT
Elijah Wilkinson (OG) – OUT
Damien Williams (RB) – OUT
Carolina Panthers
Rashard Higgins (WR) – OUT
Juston Burris (S) – OUT
Pat Elflein (C) – OUT
Taylor Moton (OT) – QUESTIONABLE
Donte Jackson (CB) – QUESTIONABLE
Matthew Ioannidis (DT) – QUESTIONABLE
Chuba Hubbard (RB) – QUESTIONABLE
Match Preview
Boy the Falcons need to be looking at this as a real opportunity, as a road win against a divisional rival here could be massive in their bid to make the playoffs. Their upcoming draw isn’t brutal, as after the Panthers they will face the Bears (A), Commanders (H), and Steelers (A), before their bye in week 14. With the Buccaneers facing a tougher task in the coming month, there is a very real chance the Falcons are still in the playoff picture come weeks 16 through 18.
On the flip side, the Panthers are now surely looking towards next season. Their effort in last week’s game against the Bengals was poor, and borderline unprofessional, as they looked as though they had money on Joe Mixon to score 5 touchdowns. I’d expect a better showing this week, as they face a divisional rival at home in primetime, and I think the market may have overreacted slightly to last week’s performance.
The lookahead on this one was Falcons -1.5, before re-opening at Falcons -2.5. The Falcons have been bet, and now the number sits between -2.5/3, with an expensive 3 currently available on the Panthers at Betfair. The Falcons have only won one game this season by margin, against a badly compromised 49ers team, and I struggle to get to the all-important number of 3 here. A home underdog in primetime is always a consideration, but betting on the Panthers just seems disgusting. Still, I will, and I’ll split my staking with a little Panthers ML sprinkled in there.
Alternate Bets:
Panthers ML - $2.36 @ Betfair (1u)
Cordarrelle Patterson (Anytime TD scorer) - $2.50 @ Topsport (1u)
Panthers (+3)
$1.89 (2 Units)
