The Atlanta Falcons travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on Thursday night in a primetime matchup that feels like a potential turning point for both teams.
The Falcons are already in crisis mode after a humiliating 34‑3 home loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday that sunk them to 0-2.
Bryce Young lit up Atlanta for 287 passing yards and three touchdowns while the Falcons failed to fire under either Cooper Rush or Jack Strand, who combined to throw three interceptions.
It was a performance that exposed every flaw in their quarterback room and left the coaching staff scrambling for answers on a short week.
The Packers, meanwhile, take a 1‑1 record into their home opener after an overtime win against the New York Jets that demonstrated a desperation to succeed against the odds.
Plagued by injuries, penalties and sloppy mistakes for much of three quarters, Green Bay battled back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit thanks to Christian Watson’s three-yard TD catch and Trey Smack’s game-tying field goal.
The Packers kicker then made the 26-yard walk-off FG with 5:23 left in OT after the defence sacked Jets QB Geno Smith twice on a three-and-out.
Atlanta could have former starting QB Michael Penix Jr. back in the huddle this week, so Green Bay will need to clean up their play if they are to extend a 13-game win streak in home openers.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers Betting Picks & Predictions
Packers -6.5 (-120)
The Packers are 9-3 against the spread in their past 12 home games and may not face an easier opponent at Lambeau Field this year than the Falcons in their current state.
Atlanta’s offense has been nothing short of disastrous through two weeks. They rank 32nd in EPA per play and 31st in offensive success rate, and neither Cooper Rush nor undrafted rookie Jack Strand has shown they can cut it in the NFL.
The Falcons have scored a combined 13 points in two games and turned the ball over four times last Sunday alone.
The only glimmer of hope is Penix Jr’s potential return from injury, but the third-year QB is 4-8 as a starter across his first two seasons in the league and is coming off a partially torn ACL.
Green Bay’s defense is not without issues, but they do not need to be perfect to overwhelm Atlanta’s current quarterback situation.
Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness is coming off a career performance: nine tackles, four QB hits, 1.5 sacks and a career‑high nine pressures. Even with injuries along the Packers’ offensive line, their defensive front should control this matchup.
Atlanta’s defence, meanwhile, is dealing with injuries to A.J. Terrell and Billy Bowman, and they lack the pass rush needed to exploit Green Bay’s protection problems. That’s a dangerous combination against Jordan Love, who has already shown he can move the ball even against strong defenses.
The Packers should win this game, and if Penix does not play, they could win comfortably.
Over 25.5 Falcons Rushing Attempts (+120)
Green Bay has been pretty stingy against the run in their first two games, giving up only 66 rushing yards against the Minnesota Vikings and a mere 63 against Breece Hall and the Jets.
Those stats are unlikely to deter the Falcons from frequently involving RB Bijan Robinson in their attack.
He and namesake Brian Robinson Jr. combined for 27 carries against Carolina, despite the Falcons falling 10 points behind in the first quarter.
Atlanta ran the ball five more times on quarterback scrambles and an attempted end-around that went nowhere, so the Falcons have plenty of scope to attempt more than 25 run plays on Thursday.
Atlanta averaged 27.4 rush attempts per game last year while Penix averages more than two runs per game, so he could also elevate the total if he plays.
Christian Watson Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+140)
Watson has matured into a reliable target for Jordan Love and now seems to one of his first-choice options in the red zone.
The 27-year-old wideout scored seven touchdowns in his final eight starts last season, including the Wild Card game, and Love has already found him in the end zone three times in the Packers’ first two games this year.
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Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers odds
ATL Falcons | +235 |
GB Packers | -290 |
Spread | GB Packers -6.5 |
Total | O/U 44.5 |
Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers player props
Anytime touchdown
Bijan Robinson (ATL Falcons) | -160 |
Christian Watson (GB Packers) | +140 |
Tucker Kraft (GB Packers) | +165 |
Marshawn Lloyd (GB Packers) | +175 |
Kaleb Johnson (GB Packers) | +180 |
Matthew Golden (GB Packers) | +190 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
