NFL Week 6 odds: Panthers underdogs at home for matchup with the Falcons

DraftKings Sportsbook has Atlanta favored by five ponts despite being the road team for this week.

Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers had a nice story to ride for a couple of weeks thanks to Andy Dalton's surprise performances against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cininnati Bengals. Unfortunately, as the team learned in Chicago on Sunday, those two teams have among the worst defensive units in the league right now. Facing their first real defensive test with Dalton at quarterback this year against the Bears, they failed to get anything going in the passing game. Meanwhile, they got totally blown out on the other side of the ball in a 36-10 loss.

Heading into Week 6, it's once again clear that this is the worst roster in the NFL by far, even after the wide receiver corps got a couple of upgrades this offseason - even after the offensive line was boosted into one of the game's best units. What comes next? A visit from the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons. As expected, they're heavy favorites.

Panthers-Falcons Week 5 odds

According to the latest odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook, the Falcons are favored by five points despite playing on the road for this week's game. This should really come as no surprise to Carolina fans. Atlanta is one of the better teams in the conference this year and they should have a record of 4-1 but they're coming in at 3-2 thanks to their screwjob at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs and the officials in Week 3.

The greatest difference for this Falcons team since the last time we saw them is of course their two big additions at quarterback. In addition to signing Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal in free agency, the team also used a top-10 draft pick on Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., turning what was one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league into one of the best. It's paid off for Atlanta, as Cousins has made them far more competitive than Desmond Ridder did.

The Falcons also have history on their side,as they have gone 36-22 all-time against the Panthers, including winning two of the last three meetings.

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