Panthers at Falcons stream, odds, pick and prediction

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 06: Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan (2) gets ready to snap the ball during a NFL game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles on September 6, 2018 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 06: Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan (2) gets ready to snap the ball during a NFL game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles on September 6, 2018 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 09: Running back Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball during a NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/ Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 09: Running back Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball during a NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/ Getty Images) /

Vegas is backing the Falcons

Oddsshark.com has the consensus line giving the Panthers six points in this game. That’s a pretty big surprise given the results from last week. The Falcons certainly faced a tough task going to play the Eagles to open the season, but losing to Philadelphia without Carson Wentz simply wasn’t that impressive.

On the other hand, the Panthers didn’t exactly blow the Cowboys away at home. Given the lack of playmakers on the outside for Dallas perhaps oddsmakers feel that Carolina should have won by a larger margin. That’s the only possible explanation for the Panthers getting almost a touchdown in this one.

Odds

Line: Atlanta (-6)

Over/Under: 44.5

The over-under for this game isn’t all that interesting at 44.5 That’s pretty close to the NFL average. In other words, oddsmakers don’t expect this to be a shootout or an overly defensive affair. Something in between feels about right. These teams know each other too well to put up a ton of points. Each squad both has enough offensive weapons to avoid being completely shut down.

To coin a phrase from Lee Corso, this one might be closer than the experts think. The Falcons will up their play at home, but the Panthers aren’t going to be intimidated in a building they see every year. Don’t be surprised if this one comes down to the final quarter before a winner emerges.