‘Thursday Night Football’ picks and open thread: Falcons at Panthers

On Thursday night the Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) will travel to Charlotte to face off with the Carolina Panthers (+2.5) for another edition of Thursday Night Football. The Falcons are currently 2.5-point favorites, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Falcons can get back to .500 with a win over Carolina on Thursday. They sit at 4-5 on the year, which includes a thrilling win overtime win over the Panthers the last time these two teams played. The Falcons offense has a couple of explosive playmakers, including tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Cordarrelle Patterson. As a result, they have a top ten scoring offense, ranking ninth in the NFL in points per game at 24.1. But the defense has had its issues in 2022, ranking 26th in the league in points allowed per game with 25.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have had a tough first half of the season. They have a 2-7 record and have interchanged P.J. Walker and Baker Mayfield at quarterback this year, with neither yet proving they are capable of holding the starting job long term. They rank 23rd in the league in points per game at 19.9, and are 29th in the league in points allowed at 25.3 per game.

The pick: Under 42.5 points scored, Falcons win and cover the spread.