The Atlanta Falcons will look to win their third straight game this weekend when they get a visit from the cratering Carolina Panthers, who just want to end their slump. Check out our preview of this game below.
The free fall continues for the Panthers, as Sam Darnold and company suffered their fourth loss in a row last Sunday, falling prey to the New York Giants on the road, 25-3. The lopsided manner of Carolina’s loss to a team unlikely to make the playoffs pretty much summed up how things are going for the Panthers. Carolina started the season with three straight wins but has completely fallen off a cliff. Still, Atlanta is a beatable team. Sam Darnold struggled in the Giants game, as he went just 16/25 for 111 passing yards without a touchdown. He was also picked while getting sacked three times for a loss of 11 yards. At this point, it seems that there’s a chance that the Panthers go with PJ Walker as their Week 8 starter. Either way, the Panthers can look to establish the run early, with rookie Chubba Hubbard getting plenty of touches against Atlanta’s run defense that allowed over 130 rushing yards to the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
The Panthers are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games as the road underdog.
The Falcons have momentum now. After beating the New York Jets in London in Week 5, 27-20, Atlanta flew over the Atlantic, had a bye in Week 6, and defeated the Dolphins on the road in Week 7, 30-28. Matt Ryan has the offense going again for Atlanta, which is averaging 22.5 points per game this season but has put up at least 27 points in each of its last three contests. Ryan went 25/40 for 336 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception against Miami. Atlanta’s upward trend coincides with the hot stretch rookie tight end Kyle Pitts is having. After a slow start to the season, Pitts seems to have figured out the NFL already. He has recorded 282 receiving yards on 16 catches in the last two Atlanta games. He’s going to be a problem for Carolina’s defense that has apparently lost its sting.
The Falcons are 10-3 against the spread against a team with a losing record.
