Carolina Panthers (2-5) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
October 30, 2022 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Atlanta Falcons -6.5 / Carolina Panthers +6.5; Over/Under: 41.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers square off Sunday in week 8 NFL action from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Carolina is sitting at 2-5 overall. The Panthers took out the Buccaneers in their last outing. As for Atlanta, they’re currently 3-4 and fresh off a loss to Cincinnati. Check back all season long for free NFL picks at Sports Chat Place.
Carolina started out the season with a couple of close losses to the Browns and Giants, then got their first win over New Orleans. The Panthers would then hit the skids again, falling to the Cardinals, 49ers and Rams.
In last weekend’s matchup versus the Buccaneers, the Panthers took a slim 7-0 lead into halftime. Carolina kept it up in the second half during a 21-3 win. QB Phillip Walker put up 177 yards with two touchdowns, and D’Onta Foreman led the rush on 118 yards.
Over on the Falcons’ side, their year started with a couple of losses to the Saints and Rams before a win over the Seahawks. A win over the Browns 23-20 followed, then a loss 21-15 to the Buccaneers and a 28-14 win over San Francisco.
Matched up against the Bengals, the Falcons were down 28-17 by halftime. Atlanta failed to score in the second half and lost 35-17. QB Marcus Mariota posted 124 yards with one TD, and Tyler Allgeier rushed 16 times for 50 yards.
The Panthers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 in Week 8 and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 in October. Carolina is 4-17 ATS in their last 21 overall.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are 4-0 in their last four on grass and 5-0 ATS in their last five versus the AFC. Atlanta is 13-5 ATS versus a team with a losing record.
PICK: I’m going to try Carolina. The Panthers are coming off a solid effort against the Buccaneers, even though the offense was pretty tepid. Carolina notched 343 yards (170 passing) and 14 first downs total. On the other side the Panthers held Tampa to just 17 first downs and a 2-of-12 rate on third-down tries.
As for Atlanta, they were dismantled in their last appearance by a Bengals team playing their best football. The Falcons notched just 214 total yards and 13 first downs in the loss. The stats should improve in this one but I don’t think the Falcons will cover.
