Best Bets for Falcons vs. Packers Thursday Night Football

The Green Bay Packers will host the Atlanta Falcons in one of the least anticipated Thursday Night Football games of the season. The Packers boast a 1-1 record after two uninspiring performances. The Falcons are 0-2, struggling to find any success in their games.

This is a spot where we can back an underrated Green Bay defense. They’ve given up 0.421 points per play through two games, which is boosted because of offensive struggles against the Minnesota Vikings. They also rank second in the NFL, allowing only 3.9 yards per play, which is more indicative of how good their defense is.

The Falcons are the only team in the NFL who hasn’t had a single play in the red zone yet this season. They’ve only scored 16 points through two games, but that doesn’t tell the entire story.

Michael Penix Jr. is expected to make his 2026 debut, which is a massive upgrade over Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. How good will Penix be, though? He’s returning from another major injury, tearing his ACL in 2025.

Ultimately, Green Bay’s defense should have a huge edge at home against this Atlanta offense.

On the other side, there’s very little to love about this Packers offense outside of Jordan Love, Matthew Golden, and Christian Watson.

Green Bay has one of the worst offensive lines in recent memory. Zach Bako-Bewele, who is the only solid option, isn’t going to play, while Aaron Banks, Anthony Belton, and Donovan Jennings could also miss this game.

The Falcons have been able to generate pressure (29.3%) against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers without blitzing (15.9%). They shouldn’t have many issues generating pressure in this game, and they could ramp up their blitzing to create more problems.

Granted, Green Bay will be playing at home, and they have flashed the ability to hit big plays while struggling to produce consistent blocking. That could be an issue for the under, but they aren’t likely to find sustained success.

This is a spot where the defenses are both in drastically better spots than the offenses to find success. Both teams should focus on field position here, and we could get a similar game to Green Bay against the New York Jets last week, which totaled only 37 points [with overtime].
Where to Bet: Atlanta Falcons/Green Bay Packers under 43.5 points | -112 at FanDuel Sportsbook

2026 NFL Season Betting Record: 2-4