Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons Preview:
The 8-8 Atlanta Falcons are coming off a tough overtime loss to the Washington Commanders. Unfortunately for them, they do not control their destiny. Their fate lies in the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Buccaneers lose to the New Orleans Saints and the Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers, they will win the NFC South and be the #4 seed in the playoffs. They would host either the Minnesota Vikings or the Detroit Lions. Winning the NFC South would mark their first time winning the division since 2016. However, even with a win this week, it would be the first time they finished the season with a winning record since 2017.
The Panthers will finish the season with a losing record once again. They did improve on last season’s last-place record, but there is still work to do on this team. At one point, former first-overall Bryce Young was benched. Since earning his starting job back, there have been some improvements; however, they still have work to do.
It’s unclear exactly how much Dave Canales will play his starters in this game, but the Panthers would likely want to play spoiler to their division foes fate.
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How to Watch Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons Live on Sunday:
- Date: Sunday, January 7th
- Time: 1:00 PM ET
- Site: Bank of America Stadium
- City: Charlotte, NC
- TV/Streaming: CBS
Latest Game Odds for Panthers at Falcons – Week 18: The latest odds as of Tuesday morning courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Carolina Panthers (+300), Atlanta Falcons (-400)
- Spread: Falcons -3
- Total: 47.5
NBC Sports Bet Best Bets:
NBC Sports analyst Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is leaning toward taking the Over 47.5 points…
Thomas: “Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has work to do, but this is a game were the Falcons should succeed on the ground and through the air. The Panthers’ defense is terrible, and we should see the Falcons exploit it. I see a lot of points. There’s a reason Panthers games are 12-4 to the OVER this season.”
Carolina Panthers at Falcons Team Stats, Betting Trends:
- Atlanta is 6-9-1 against the spread
- Carolina is 7-9-0 against the spread
- Atlanta is 6-10 to the OVER
- Carolina is 12-4 to the OVER
Quarterback Matchup for Panthers at Falcons:
- Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. – This is Penix Jr.’s third start of the season, and he’s looking for his second win. A win would make him 2-1 as a starter in the NFL.
- Panthers: Bryce Young – Young has made improvements. He’s thrown for 2,152 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Player News & Injuries for Panthers at Falcons:
Panthers:
- LB DJ Johnson (head) is on the IR
- DE A’Shawn Robinson (neck) is questionable
- CB Lonnie Johnson (shoulder/neck) Jr is OUT
- LB Amare Barno (shoulder) is OUT
- LB Jaycee Horn (hip) is OUT
Falcons:
- DT Brandon Dorlus (abdomen) is questionable
- LB JD Bertrand (eye) is questionable
- WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is questionable
- CB Antonio Hamilton Sr (quad) is on the IR
- K Younghoe Koo (hip) is on the IR
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