Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers Player Props (12/12/21)

The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are barely hanging onto playoff hopes at this point in the season, and this divisional matchup carries a ton of weight for both teams. Carolina will need to re-adjust to life without Christian McCaffrey coming off a needed bye week. At the same time, the Falcons have handled themselves fairly well without their best weapon in Calvin Ridley. There are plenty of betting angles to discuss in this matchup, and this article will focus on the best player props on the market. You can use the player prop search tool below to find the best values for this Falcons vs. Panthers matchup in your particular betting market.

D.J. Moore Over 54.5 Receiving Yards

I can understand the potential trepidation in betting on a receiver catching passes from Cam Newton. Still, I’m expecting a shake-up for the Panthers’ offense following the firing of former offensive coordinator Joe Brady over their bye week. D.J. Moore averages about 80 receiving yards per game throughout his career in games without Christian McCaffrey in the lineup, and he’s averaged 64.7 receiving yards per game in seven career games against the Falcons. In his second pro season, A.J. Terrell has turned into a franchise cornerback, but Atlanta still ranks as the fourth-worst pass defense in DVOA. Moore has missed this mark in three of his last four games, but the combination of increased involvement in a shifting offense and a plus matchup is enough for me to bet on him to produce.

Russell Gage Under 4.5 Receptions

You can make a case for either side of this player prop, and it’s one of the more interesting debates of the week. Carolina is allowing the fewest passing yards per game this season, and Gage had no catches when he faced the Panthers earlier. However, Matt Ryan has been playing better football lately, and Gage has gone over this line in three of his last four games. Jaylen Waddle had nine receptions as the top wideout for the Dolphins against the Panthers, but the Dolphins do a terrific job of manufacturing touches for Waddle. Ultimately, I’m going to bank on the dominant Carolina defense keeping Gage in check, but I wanted to acknowledge the argument on both sides for this one.

Cam Newton Over 30.5 Rushing Yards

It’s been a weird re-introduction to the starting lineup for Cam Newton as he hasn’t had the same involvement in the rushing game as we’re used to seeing from him. Newton only had five rushing yards against the Dolphins in the week before their bye, but some of that can be explained by the lack of production for the offense overall as they fell behind by multiple scores. The firing of Joe Brady could end up being a positive for Newton’s rushing production, and the Panthers’ offense should be much more productive against Atlanta. Cam has run for 50.8 yards per game in fifteen career matchups against the Falcons, and with Christian McCaffrey out, I expect Carolina to emphasize Newton as part of the rushing offense.

Matt Ryan Under 230.5 Passing Yards

Over his last six games, Matt Ryan is averaging just 207.6 passing yards per game. In four of those six games, he has been under 200 passing yards. This week, he has to face the Panthers, who rank fifth in pass-defense DVOA and have allowed the fewest passing yards per game this season. Ryan was held to just 146 passing yards earlier this season against Carolina. Without Calvin Ridley, the Falcons have had a limited passing offense, despite the emergence of Cordarelle Patterson and Russell Gage. The Panthers have allowed just one passer to throw for over 230 yards since Week 1, and it’s hard to imagine Ryan being the second such quarterback this season.