Carolina vs. Atlanta (-8 47.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
Carolina vs. Atlanta | Sunday, January 5, 2025
The Atlanta Falcons had a major opportunity to take control of their playoff push heading into Week 17. They just needed to win out in the final two games of the regular season, and they’d secure the division and their spot in the postseason.
Having beaten the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice this season, a tie on final record would have favored Atlanta, but then they lost to Washington, and the Tampa Bay Bucs crushed the Carolina Panthers 48-14.
So now, Atlanta needs to win against Carolina themselves, and they’ll need the struggling New Orleans Saints to upset the Bucs in Florida. That’s a tough ask, but stranger things have happened on the final day of the regular season.
Of course, the major storyline surrounding the Falcons is the late-season shift to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from Kirk Cousins. Many believe that it’s the beginning of a severance from the expensive veteran, who struggled horribly before being benched for the former Washington Huskies rookie.
Since taking over, Penix has played okay, with some of the jitters you’d expect from a rookie QB making his first two starts. He threw his first touchdown pass in the Week 17 loss to the Commanders, which did go all the way to overtime before Atlanta were defeated in agonizing fashion.
For the Panthers, this game serves as an opportunity to go into the offseason with some real momentum, following the resurgence of Bryce Young since being reintroduced to the starting role.
The former #1 overall pick has been so much better in recent games, and the Panthers 4-12 record almost undermines how well the Panthers have played in recent weeks. They may have lost, but they kept games extremely close with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, while also playing well in the first matchup with the Bucs.
It seems there may be hope for Bryce Young in Carolina yet, with head coach Dave Canales finding a little chemistry with the struggling quarterback, while reinstalling some much needed confidence into him.
The Panthers won’t go down without a fight in this one, and Bryce Young will be playing like it’s a playoff game. He’s got a point to prove and a lasting memory to leave in the building before the off-season arrives, making sure everybody knows that he’s the guy.
Atlanta will of course want to win and keep their dreams of making the playoffs alive, then turning their attention to the final scoreline between Tampa Bay and New Orleans to find out their fate.
GET THE ENTIRE NFL SEASON JUST $100 🏈 NFL SERVICE STRAIGHT THROUGH PLAYOFFS AND SUPER BOWL 🏈 LIMITED TIME OFFER
Get free NFL Picks and NFL Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2024 NFL schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry's premier expert NFL handicappers. J.A. Cavalier has been bringing the NFL betting community the best NFL free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best NFL moneyline and run line odds and game totals.
J.A. Cavalier Free Pick
Game Total Over 47.5