Week 18 of the NFL season will feature an NFC South matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have everything to play for going into this contest, as their NFC title hopes rest on this week’s games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are out of playoff contention and are just playing for pride. Here, the Falcons are favored by eight points entering this matchup, while the total has been set at 47.5 points.
Here, we preview Panthers vs Falcons in a game that will have a huge impact on the NFC playoff picture. Continue reading to get our keys to this game, along with our best bet for this matchup from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Our NFL betting picks have been reliable for quite some time now, with this game likely to be no exception.
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Panthers Look For Encouraging End to Season
The Carolina Panthers have had a rough year, going 4-12 heading into the final game of the regular season. But they have taken some steps forward this year, even if those steps haven’t necessarily been reflected in the standings. Here, the Panthers are underdogs according to the NFL betting odds for this week, as they look to pull off an upset to spoil the playoff hopes of the Falcons.
Defending the pass will be the key to the Panthers’ success this week, something they did not do well in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina allowed five touchdown passes from Baker Mayfield in a blowout loss to the Bucs. If they allow Michael Penix Jr. to get into a rhythm through the air in this game, it could be another long day for the Panthers in the final game of their 2024 campaign.
Falcons Hope to Keep NFC South Hopes Alive
The Atlanta Falcons go into Week 18 of the NFL season still in contention to win the NFC South. They are in a two-team race with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the remaining playoff scenarios for Atlanta coming down to the Falcons needing a win and a Bucs loss to grab the division title. Atlanta is a favorite to do their part, but after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Commanders in Week 17, the Falcons will need some help from the New Orleans Saints against Tampa.
Michael Penix Jr. had his moments of brilliance and his growing pains in his first career road start against the Washington Commanders in Week 17. He looked poised in that game, even if some of his key throws lacked accuracy, after looking solid at home in his first start against the New York Giants. With so much on the line in this game, how Penix performs will be very interesting to monitor in just his third career start as a pro.
Panthers vs Falcons Pick & Prediction
We will lay the points with the Falcons in this Panthers vs Falcons matchup from Atlanta. Through two starts, we have been impressed with the performance of Penix, even if the Falcons didn’t light up the scoreboard for most of their game against the Commanders in Week 17. Look for the Falcons to do more than enough to win this game as they hope to end Week 18 as NFC South champions.
