A NFC South game involving a first place team isn’t all that unusual for the Carolina Panthers. When they aren’t the team at the top of the division, well that’s something different altogether. Through three weeks of the 2016 season, the Panthers have already eclipsed their entire regular season loss total from a season ago, and they must face the first-place Atlanta Falcons on the road in Week 4. Atlanta stopped the Panthers two wins shy of completing the second 16-0 regular season in league history with last year’s home win.
Watch this regular season Week 4 matchup live on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Carolina Panthers -3
Atlanta Falcons +3
Over/Under 50
Odds Analysis
Despite their 1-2 start, the public is still backing the Panthers as they are getting a majority of action on the early line in this one. But Carolina has lost its last two both SU and ATS when favored by at least three points on the road. The first of those two defeats came in Atlanta last season when the Panthers fell 20-13 as a 7-point favorite.
Injury Report
Julio Jones – The Falcon’s star receiver played Monday night against the Saints despite being hampered by a calf injury. With only one catch it’s fair to assume the injury affected him. The offense still produced big numbers in New Orleans, however, Jones has to be at full strength against the Panthers. He had a huge touchdown catch in the upset win over Carolina last year, and with Mohamed Sanu nursing a sore shoulder, Jones will definitely be more involved.
Revenge Game
The Panthers had cruised through their first 14 games of 2015 winning them all. They were two wins away from posting just the second 16-0 regular season in NFL history and talk of matching the 1972 Miami Dolphins was in full swing. Carolina downplayed the significance of its accomplishment, as most teams do when reaching those heights. But the thought had to be there with games against the Falcons and Buccaneers last on the list. However, a strange thing happened to the Panthers on their way to that undefeated season.
When Carolina visited the Georgia Dome for a Week 16 tilt with their NFC South rival, the streak came to a painful end. Facing a Falcons team that just played itself out of contention for a postseason berth with a five-game losing streak, and one the Panthers whacked 38-0 just two week prior, Atlanta ended the suspense with an improbable 20-13 victory. Cam Newton had two chances to lead the Panthers to a comeback victory late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t hit paydirt. On their final possession, Newton was stripped of the football by a defender and the Falcons recovered to seal Carolina’s first defeat. It was the fewest points scored in a regular season game for the NFL’s most productive offense.
Free ATS Pick
It’s tough to gauge how good the Falcons are after three weeks of the season. A loss to Tampa Bay in the opener followed by two offensive outbursts in wins over Oakland and New Orleans leaves us wondering. That makes Sunday’s contest with the Panthers a good-measuring stick. The offense has clicked against struggling defenses, but the Falcons defense has been just good enough the past two weeks.
The Panthers looked out of sorts in a frustrating loss to Minnesota last week, and with all the unrest around Charlotte and at the stadium, it’s hard to believe that didn’t have an effect on their performance. Playing away from home will turn out to be exactly what Carolina needs to get back on track. Focused on playing football, Carolina will take advantage of Atlanta’s 30th-ranked defense and return to the high-powered team we’re used to seeing. This game has the makings of a shootout, but the total is a bit high for my liking.
NFL Odds: Ravens 24, Falcons 20
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