Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers Spread

The Carolina Panthers (4-8) will be going after a third straight win when they host the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) Sunday.

The Panthers are currently a three-point underdog with the total set at 48.

Carolina, which only won two games in 2010, doubled last season’s win total last week with a 38-19 victory on the road over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cam Newton completed 12 of 21 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also carried the football 14 times for 54 yards and three more scores.

Legedu Naanee hauled in Newton’s lone touchdown pass and finished with two receptions for 38 yards.

Jonathan Stewart led the way on the ground with 80 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

The Falcons are coming off a 17-10 road loss to the Houston Texans.

Matt Ryan connected on 20 of 47 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Roddy White caught the lone touchdown strike, and Tony Gonzalez led the team with seven catches and 100 receiving yards.

Michael Turner led the team in rushing with 44 yards on 14 totes.

Atlanta’s run defense, which currently ranks third in the NFL with 90 yards allowed per game, let the team down last week as it gave up 162 rushing yards to the Texans. The Falcons better get things figured out in a hurry or they could fall again this week.

The Panthers are the fifth-best rushing team in the NFL with 137.6 yards per game and have averaged 155.8 yards on the ground over their last nine games.

The Falcons gave up 142 rushing yards to the Panthers in a 31-17 home win in the season’s first meeting but managed 166 rushing yards of their own.

Atlanta is 7-3 this season when it rushes for more yards than its opponent. It will have an opportunity to rack up some rushing yards against a Carolina defense that ranks 27th in the NFL against the run with 132.5 yards allowed per game.

The Falcons have won each of the last three and five of the last six in this series. They have covered the spread in five of the last six as well.

Atlanta has had the upper hand in the series, but it is hasn’t been a good wager in the small chalk recently. In fact, it is 0-5 against the number in its last five games when listed as a favorite of three points or less.

It is also worth noting that the Panthers are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven home games.

In regard to the total, the under just might be the play. The under is 12-3-1 in the last 16 meetings between these two in Carolina. The Falcons have played to the under in eight straight, and the under is 34-16-1 in the Panthers’ last 51 home games.

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