Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers - 12/12/21 NFL Picks and Predictions
The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers face off on Sunday in an NFC South showdown at Bank of America Stadium. When these two teams faced off on October 31st it was the Panthers that won 19-13.
The Falcons come into this game with a 5-7 record overall and they have gone 5-7 against the spread. In the last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Falcons were competitive in the first half, but in the second half they struggled and that led to the 30-17 victory. The Falcons are averaging 18 points while their defense is giving up 27.7 points per game. Under center for the Falcons is Matt Ryan who has thrown for 2,194 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Tight end Kyle Pitts has been good putting up 709 yards and one touchdown, but he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations surrounding him. In this game if the Falcons want to get the job done, the defense is going to need to be better.
On the other side of this matchup is the Carolina Panthers who sit with a 5-7 record and they have also gone 5-7 against the spread. In the last game against the Miami Dolphins the defense really struggled giving up 33 points and that led to the defeat. The Panthers are averaging 19.7 points while their defense is giving up 21.1 points per game. Signs point towards Cam Newton starting this game and since coming to the team he has had some struggles. The team has also lost running back Christian McCaffrey for the season. Chubba Hubbard will be the lead back and he has rushed for 427 yards and three touchdowns.
The Falcons are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games. Carolina is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games on grass. The Falcons are 9-3 against the spread in the last 12 meetings. The underdog is 4-1 against the spread in the last five games. The under is 13-3-1 in the last 17 meetings.
The Panthers offense has been an issue and they are going to really struggle to move the ball against the Falcons. Look for the Falcons to also have issues moving the ball and the under is going to cash. The under has been a strong play the last decade when these two teams face-off, and that will continue in this game. Back the under.