Panthers vs. Falcons Betting Line Week 16: Can Carolina Stay Undefeated?
Carrie Stroup here with your Panthers vs. Falcons betting line for Week 16 as Carolina looks to stay undefeated. Carolina -7.0, Total: 47.5
CAROLINA PANTHERS (14-0) at ATLANTA FALCONS (7-7)
The quest for perfection continues on to Week 16 as the Panthers head south for a divisional showdown with the Falcons.
Carolina (14-0 SU, 10-4 ATS) blew a 28-point second half lead on the road against the Giants, but survived via a last second field goal, 38-35, earning their seventh one-possession victory this season. Carolina’s defense did allow 406 total yards, the most allowed by the team this season.
Atlanta (7-7 SU, 5-9 ATS) ended two losing streaks with a 23-17 road win over Jacksonville: their six-game SU losing streak, and their nine-game ATS losing streak. The Falcons held the Jaguars to just 72 rushing yards, the fewest allowed by the team since Week 5. Two weeks ago, the Panthers blew out the Falcons 38-0, holding Atlanta to a season-low 230 total yards and 176 passing yards, while forcing four turnovers.
Trends for the game sway heavily in Carolina’s favor. Cam Newton is 6-3 ATS in his career against Atlanta, including a 4-1 mark since the start of the 2013-14 season, while Matt Ryan is just 7-8 ATS in his career against Carolina. Overall, Newton is 45-33 ATS in his career, while Ryan is 46-49 dating back to the start of the 2010 season. Atlanta is 0-6 ATS against teams averaging more than 130 rushing YPG since the start of last season; Carolina is also 11-3 ATS following a road win since the start of the 2013-14 season. Ron Rivera is 46-34 ATS as Carolina head coach, including a 36-25 mark against the NFC.
One note to keep in mind: Carolina is just 2-4 ATS this season in games in which they were favored by five or more points.
For as much success as Cam Newton has had this season, averaging more than 240 yards passing and 40 yards rushing per game, Carolina’s defense as a whole has been just as impressive, if not more so. The Panthers have allowed 314.9 YPG (3rd in the league), 90.1 YPG on the ground (6th in the league) and 224.8 YPG through the air (5th in the league), while picking off a league-high 22 passes, contributing to a league-best +19 TO margin. The unit will need to be on its game on Sunday with Julio Jones in town. If the Panthers can’t take the Falcons’ top receiver out of this one then it’ll put a lot of pressure on Cam Newton, as he will not have Jonathan Stewart to lean on.
Atlanta enters the game with the 7th best passing offense (268.3 YPG) in the league. Matt Ryan is 49 yards shy of his 5th straight 4,000 yard season; much of Ryan’s success, again, is due to the play of WR Julio Jones, currently 1st in the league in receptions (118) and 2nd in the league in receiving yards (1,544). Jones also needs 49 yards to tie his personal best for receiving yards in a season.
It won't be easy though as he'll be matched up against Josh Norman in this one. Norman has done a good job of shutting down the elite receivers this league has to offer this season and Jones will need to find a way to figure him out on Sunday.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
