NFC South rivals Atlanta and Carolina will butt heads for the second time this season when they take the field at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sunday (1:00pm ET start time, FOX). NFL Sunday Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Odds expect another Falcon victory with Mike Smith’s squad presently favored at -3.5 against the spread. The game total in this rivalry tilt is set at 47.5 points; Carolina is a +165 moneyline selection ($100 wins $165).

When Carolina and Atlanta met in week four the Panthers gave the 3-0 Falcons all they could handle, but an ill advised decision on the part of Cam Newton resulted in a 30-28 win for Matt Ryan and company.

Since that contest the Falcons have gone onto win seven of eight games and lock up the NFC South title; the Panthers have lost six of eight, including last Sunday’s game against a Chiefs team that had one win coming in.

Still, the line here suggests another tightly contested affair could be in order. The prevailing sentiment among pundits is that Atlanta is a juggernaut in record only, and a number of game results do, indeed, point toward it being more style than substance.

While the Falcons have been on the winning side in a number of close games, the Panthers have found themselves on the losing side of the ledger in the same situation. In addition to its nail biting loss to Atlanta, Carolina also suffered similar heart stopping defeats to Tampa Bay, Seattle, Dallas, and Chicago.

Truthfully, neither team has much to play for here. The Falcons have a 2.5 game lead over the Niners in the NFC overall standings and the Panthers were eliminated from postseason contention long ago.

Free Pick: Take Carolina +3.5. The Panthers are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games as a home team in the month of December.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers NFL Odds:

Atlanta Falcons -3.5 (-110), Over 47.5 (-110), -190 (Moneyline)

Carolina Panthers +3.5 (-110), Under 47.5 (-110), +165 (Moneyline)

NFL Free Picks: Atlanta at Carolina (Best Bet)
What pro football bettors need to know about Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers on Sunday (12/09/12) - a best bet from Pregame.com's Steve Fezzik, with Marco D'Angelo and host Scott Spreitzer.

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