Two NFC South rivals will kick off their 2023 NFL season on Sunday with a crucial divisional matchup as the Carolina Panthers visit the Atlanta Falcons. The two franchises are both coming off 7-10 seasons in 2022 but are hoping to take advantage of a weakened division with a new starting quarterback. Desmond Ridder takes over for Atlanta in his second season, while No. 1 pick Bryce Young is the new signal caller in Carolina. Both quarterbacks will have the potential to set the tone in their first full season as starters and could make an impact early after 8-9 won the division last season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta is favored by 3.5 points in the latest Panthers vs. Falcons odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 40. Before making any Falcons vs. Panthers picks, you need to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from the computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up more than $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 163-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 17-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up..
Now, the model has set its sights on Falcons vs. Panthers and just locked in its picks and NFL Week 1 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Falcons vs. Panthers:
- Falcons vs. Panthers spread: Falcons -3.5
- Falcons vs. Panthers over/under: 40 points
- Falcons vs. Panthers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Falcons can cover
Atlanta handed Ridder the reins for the last four games of the 2022 season, with the Falcons losing Ridder's first two starts and then winning the last two. For his part, Ridder did a nice job of taking care of the football when called upon, throwing zero interceptions in 115 pass attempts during his rookie season and completing 63.5% of his passes.
In a Week 18 win over the Buccaneers, Ridder went 19-for-30 for 224 yards and threw his first two career touchdown passes. Atlanta will certainly be hoping that he can build on that performance. Drake London had six catches for 120 yards in that victory and his rapport with Ridder will be crucial early in the season with Atlanta hoping to allow rookie running back Bijan Robinson to get acclimated. See which team to pick here.
Why the Panthers can cover
The Panthers are very much in rebuilding mode, but they do have a proven head coach in Frank Reich and plenty of talented young players at key positions. Reich led the Indianapolis Colts to two playoff appearances in five seasons, and is considered by many around the league to be one of the top offensive minds in the business.
All eyes will be on rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who will be making his first career professional start. The Panthers gave up a lot to move up in the draft to select the former Alabama standout, and his performance will likely dictate how the season goes for Carolina. See which team to pick here.
How to make Panthers vs. Falcons picks
The model has simulated Falcons vs. Panthers 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Over on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's Falcons vs. Panthers pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Panthers vs. Falcons on Sunday, and which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Falcons vs. Panthers spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 163-113 roll on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
