The Carolina Panthers will take aim at a fourth straight win today as they welcome the Atlanta Falcons to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Kickoff in this divisional battle is set for 1:00pm ET; the game will be broadcast live on FOX. Updated NFL Point Spreads from Sportsbook.ag are favoring the Panthers at -7.5 against the spread. Today's game total is set at 45.5 points.

There comes a point when a spade must be called a spade, and that point is now for the Atlanta Falcons. Indeed, Mike Smith's crew is bad, regardless of how long it took them to be labeled as such.

The Falcons have been working on ruining their good name since the kicked off, but nobody wanted to believe what they were seeing. However, after last week's loss to Arizona, the band of doubters was reduced to something less than five percent.

Which brings us to today's showdown with the surging Panthers. It is certainly a struggle to get behind a Ron Rivera coached team, but Carolina is working in reverse of Atlanta. When is it safe to say the Panthers are for real? Now may be the time.

There is a chorus anxious to label Carolina a fraud based upon the level of competition it has faced of late. And it is true Cam Newton and company have disposed of a bunch of misfits; however, they did so with ease.

Carolina's current three game winning streak came against the Vikings, Rams, and Buccaneers, but it defeated them by an average of 19.3 points per game.

In regards to this afternoon's contest, somehow Atlanta has avoided being lumped in with that group. Granted, the Falcons are better than the Bucs, but are they that much better than Minnesota and St. Louis? The answer is no.

This is a divisional game, which changes the dynamics some, but that is reflected in the line.

NFL Point Spreads Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers:

Atlanta Falcons +7.5 (-110), Over 45.5 (-110), +265 (Moneyline)

Carolina Panthers -7.5 (-110), Under 45.5 (-110), -330 (Moneyline)

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