The Atlanta Falcons (1-1) and Carolina Panthers (0-2) will face off in Week 3 of the NFL season this afternoon. Kickoff is set for in 1:00 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game will broadcast live on FOX.
The Falcons are 5.5-point favorites over the Panthers on the spread (Falcons -5.5), with the over/under set at 43.5 total points. Atlanta is a -245 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Carolina is +195 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Falcons vs. Panthers predictions for this Week 3 NFC South game.
Falcons vs Panthers Prediction
- Falcons vs Panthers picks: Falcons -5.5 (-110); Xavier Legette Under 27.5 Receiving Yards (-110); Bryce Young Under 210.5 Passing Yards (-110)
Our Falcons vs Panthers best bets are on Atlanta to cover the spread and two Panthers player props. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NFL odds page.
Falcons vs Panthers Odds
| Falcons Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | +195 |
Falcons vs Panthers NFL Week 3 Preview
Falcons -5.5 (-110)
By Kyle Murray
The Falcons have had their fair share of issues this season, especially when it comes to finishing drives with touchdowns in the red zone, but they are the much better team in this matchup.
The Panthers had a miraculous backdoor cover last week thanks to a horrible interception by Kyler Murray, and they got throttled in their season-opener by a Jaguars' team that threw for less than 200 yards.
I think the Panthers offense is better than the unit we've seen in recent years, but I am not optimistic that this will be a week they can turn it around, as they are now going to be without two of their best starting offensive linemen in this game.
Pick: Falcons -5.5 (-110)
Falcons vs Panthers Prediction, Prop Picks
Xavier Legette Under 27.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Xavier Legette has turned 15 targets into four catches for eight yards through two games. He posted an impossible stat line of one catch for -2 receiving yards on eight targets last week.
The 15 targets seem encouraging, but there are several caveats there.
Bryce Young is tied for the NFL lead with 90 pass attempts, including an insane 55 attempts last week as the Panthers frantically tried to rally against the Cardinals. The passing volume almost has to come down. Legette has plenty of competition too — he's one of five Panthers with double-digit targets.
The quality of the looks has been an issue as well. Fantasy Points Data has Legette with an ugly 58.3% catchable target rate. It's hard to see Legette getting better looks this week given the injuries on the offensive line.
The Panthers beefed up their interior specifically to help Young, who is a smaller quarterback. Those improvements have now been neutralized with Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett hitting IR.
The Falcons rank fourth in pressure rate. They sacked J.J. McCarthy six times last week — it could be a long day for Carolina's passing attack.
Pick: Xavier Legette Under 27.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Bryce Young Under 210.5 Passing Yards (-110)
I'm also grabbing the under for Bryce Young's passing yards.
I prefer to target Legette specifically, but I expect the Panthers to struggle mightily to move the ball through the air.
Pick: Bryce Young Under 210.5 Passing Yards (-110)
Spread
I'm not betting either side of the spread in this matchup.
Moneyline
I will also be staying away from the moneyline market.
Over/Under
Our Panthers vs. Falcons betting predictions are Atlanta to cover the spread and a pair of Carolina player prop unders.
