Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Sunday, November 28, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Falcons Pick’em
Current Line: Falcons -2
Opening Total: 47.5
Current Total: 47.5
Money Line: Falcons -140 / Packers +120
The Green Bay Packers (7-3) and Atlanta Falcons (8-2) both bring four-game winning streaks into this potential NFC championship preview when they meet in the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The Falcons (-2) are a perfect 5-0 at home this season but will face their biggest test of the season there this week against the Packers, who have been allowed just 10 points in their last three games combined.
In fact, Green Bay has been so dominant in its last two games that the opposition’s head coach has been fired the very next day after the two teams played. The Packers have outscored the Cowboys and Packers by a combined score of 76-10 in their last two games, which followed a 9-0 road win against the Jets. The team started its recent winning streak by knocking off Minnesota 28-24 at home a little over a month ago.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been outstanding for the Pack in the last two games, throwing seven touchdown passes and no interceptions while averaging 295 passing yards. Rodgers has returned to Pro Bowl form and could find a weakness in Atlanta’s defense – the secondary.
The Falcons are surrendering 244.1 passing yards per game this year, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the NFL. Overall, Atlanta is ranked seventh in scoring defense (giving up 19.2 points per game) and sixth in run defense (allowing 95.4 yards per game on the ground). The team has been involved in five straight games that have gone OVER the total though, so another shootout here definitely is not out of the question.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has been steady as well during his team’s four-game winning streak, throwing nine touchdown passes and only one pick. Three of those games were at home, where he is 18-1 as a starter. That is not to say that Ryan has dominated opponents in the Georgia Dome, as the last four games there have all been decided by seven points or less.
The one advantage the Falcons have over the Packers offensively is a strong running game, led by Michael Turner. Atlanta ranks seventh in the league in rushing with 129 yards per game, including 864 yards (86.4 per game) and six touchdowns from Turner.
Green Bay’s defense has not been nearly as stingy against the run this year, giving up 112.1 yards per game after leading the NFL in that category last season (83.3 ypg). Still, the Pack is tied with Chicago for the league lead in least points allowed, giving up 14.6 points per game. The UNDER is 5-0 in the team’s road games this year.
The Falcons are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven meetings with the Packers despite going 4-3 straight-up in those games. The OVER is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the teams.
Don’t miss out on the winning NFL picks packages we offer. You can also get free winners on our free NFL picks page.
