Will the Panthers win with 1st overall pick Young to open?

What a matchup in week one of the National Football League! Proclaimed by some experts as the secret pick of the first day of play, there is hardly a duel with so many unknowns! This makes it difficult to pick between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, of course, but we still went into the analysis and finally – as you are used to – found it.

The Falcons host their division rivals in the NFC South at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta could turn out to be the most exciting offense in the NFL, as they focus almost entirely on the run game, which is contrary to the actual direction of the league, which is becoming more and more pass-heavy. This could be entertaining and quite successful.

And in Carolina? There’s nothing less than a new era dawning! With the uprade at position one in this year’s draft, the Panthers had the opportunity to select their playmaker of choice. They chose Bryce Young, who played for Alabama Crimson Tide in college and won the 2021 Heisman Trophy as the best college football player. So he makes his NFL debut in the game when the Atlanta Falcons host the Carolina Panthers. Bookmakers’ odds see the visitors as underdogs – despite Young – when they take on Georgia State on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons – stats & current form

In Atlanta, everyone is talking about Desmond Ridder. Selected in the third round by the Georgia franchise in the 2022 draft, he was primarily a backup to Marcus Mariota in his rookie season, appearing in just four games. Marcus Mariota left the franchise for Philadelphia, and accordingly Arthur Smith’s team will have to start the regular season with Ridder as the playmaker.

Enormous running back quality

The Falcons were the team with the most rushing attempts over the entire season in 2022. They ran the ball 559 times and totaled more than 2,700 rushing yards in the process. A big part of that was, of course, the – surprisingly strong – offensive line, which will undoubtedly be among the league leaders in terms of running game again this year, and which was also strengthened once again with rookies.

Atlanta was already well-stocked at the running back position with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson, but they also added Bijian Robinson, the biggest running back talent in recent years, to their ranks in the draft. If he manages a successful end zone visit in his NFL debut, odds of up to 2.00 are available in the Falcons vs. Panthers game.

The passing game still needs a baseline – despite the focus on the running game – and that’s where problems could arise. While playmaker Ridder has the better receivers at his disposal compared to last year, he will have to prove his passing abilities over a longer period of time first. His playmakers will mainly be Drake London, Mack Hollins, Scott Miller and Kyle Pitts.

On the defensive side, everything was once turned to the left, since the defense was the weak point in the previous year. Above all, plenty of experience was signed to form at least a mediocre defensive line.

Key Players:
QB: Desmond Ridder
RB: Bijan Robinson
WR: Drake London
TE: Kyle Pitts
K: Younghoe Koo

Carolina Panthers – stats & current form

All things new in Carolina! Not only does the franchise now have a huge upgrade at its disposal with the aforementioned quarterback talent at the most important position, no, the coaching staff has also been completely retreaded at one point. Frank Reich, who was previously head coach with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2022, is the new strongman on the sidelines in Charlotte, where the Panthers franchise is based.

New faces on offense

But those aren’t the only changes to the team, of course, as numerous pass receivers were also replaced. Among others, DJ Moore, who recorded seven touchdowns for the franchise last year, was traded to Chicago. In return, Adam Thielen was signed from Minnesota, who brings a lot of experience and will serve as a key face-off man. Behind them there is a lot of talent with players like Laviska Shenault, D.J. Shark, Terrace Marshall or for example rookie Jonathan Mingo. Whether any of them can rise to the level of number-two receiver, however, remains to be seen this season. Before the game between the Falcons and Panthers, we dare not predict who that will be.

Backfield reinforcements came from the Super Bowl contender. Miles Sanders will share the running back position with Chuba Hubbard, both of whom will benefit from the improved offensive line. That will also make life easier for Young as a playmaker.

If you put a lot of resources into the offense, as the Carolina Panthers do, you have to live with the fact that defensively, the search for reinforcements on the roster is almost in vain. The new coaching staff around Reich prioritized providing the rookie quarterback with a solid baseline on offense, so it will likely be nearly impossible for the defense to take a step forward from last year.

Key Players:
QB: Bryce Young
RB: Miles Sanders
WR: Adam Thielen
TE: Hayden Hurst
K: Eddy Pineiro

Atlanta Falcons – Carolina Panthers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

Eight wins were enough to win the NFC South division last year. Atlanta and Carolina each won seven games, narrowly missing out on winning the division and making the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints are the bookies’ top contenders to win the NFC South, followed by the Falcons and Panthers. However, we wouldn’t venture a prediction that either team can really grab the crown before the season starts.

The division rivals face each other twice a year, giving them a history of 56 matches. In 2022, the host won its home game each time, though Atlanta needed overtime for a 37-34 victory in week eight. Needless to say, this will be the first meeting between playmakers Desmond Ridder and Bryce Young.

Atlanta Falcons – Carolina Panthers Tip

Both offensively and defensively, we see the bigger question marks with the guests, so we can understand the distribution of odds between the Falcons and Panthers. The odds comparison shows that the bookie Interwetten would be a good choice for a win tip for the home side. We do not consider this by any means impossible, but the value is manageable.

We therefore decide in the game of the Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers for a point bet and bet five units on the fact that the home side at least 22 points on the scoreboard. That should probably secure them the win, as we lack the imagination after the preseason games to see how Carolina can score anywhere near that many points.

Last but not least, we end up back with the unusual offensive structure that Atlanta is looking to succeed with this season. They will try very hard in the run game and probably be able to move it around in the matchup. That probably leaves a lot of the work to Bijan Robinson, so a recommendation on a touchdown from the rookie seems promising.