The Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons are two teams who could be wishing that this season is finally over, as each has plenty of areas to fix and improve on. That being said, both are technically still in playoff contention and wouldn’t want to finish the season last in the NFC South, so expect hard-fought game between the Panthers and the Falcons in Week 14.
It’s been long established that the Panthers are in a tough season, but even then, they should not have lost to a two-win Washington Redskins at home in Week 13. The 29-21 loss to Washington was the fourth-straight setback for Carolina, which, once again, had an adventure with Kyle Allen under center. Allen went 27 for 46 for 276 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns against an interception and was sacked seven times for a loss of 65 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey only rushed for 44 yards on 14 carries, while wide receiver DJ Moore pulled down six catches on 12 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers didn’t help themselves by turning the ball over twice, which were both charged to Allen. If anything, the Panthers must utilize McCaffrey more, considering he is the best offensive weapon they have right now and it’s not even close. However, the Panthers, knowing that their playoff chances are dim, might be thinking of taking some load off the shoulders of the dynamic tailback.
The Panthers are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games.
Betting on the Atlanta Falcons (3-9)
The Falcons are back to being the Falcons. After winning two games in a row in Weeks 10 and 11, Atlanta has gone 2-0 straight-up (SU). In Week 13, the Falcons ate a 26-18 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints at home, a game that saw Atlanta commit two turnovers. Matt Ryan passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns but had two interceptions on 35-of-50 completions. The Falcons missed the services of star wide receiver Julio Jones because of a shoulder injury in the Saints game. Although the Falcons have a legitimate reason to shut down Jones since they’re unlikely to make the playoffs, Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn has reportedly said that the team is not considering that option. Regardless of Jones’ status for Week 14, the Falcons need to fortify their pass protection, especially after Ryan got sacked nine times for a loss of 53 yards. The Panthers are No. 1 in the league in sacks, while the Falcons have second-worst defensive quarterback sack percentage (4.26) through the first 13 weeks of the 2019 NFL season.
The Falcons are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against the Panthers.
