NFL Betting Lines – Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers (0-1 SU & ATS) at Atlanta Falcons (1-0 SU & ATS)
Sunday, September 20 – 1 PM ET
BetUS NFL betting lines: ATLANTA -6, Total 43
In the BetUS NFL football betting odds, the Falcons are listed as a six-point favorite, with a posted total of 43 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
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CAR has won 13 of its last 19 games SU
CAR has played seven of its last nine games OVER the total
CAR has played four of its last five road games OVER the total
ATL has covered two of its last six games
ATL has won four of its last five games SU
ATL has covered seven of its last ten home games
ATL has won nine of its last ten home games SU
ATL has played nine of its last 13 home games OVER the total
Also…
ATL has 14-7-4 ATS in the last 25 meetings
ATL has won 15 of the last 22 meetings SU
Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total
ATL has won eight of the last 11 meetings SU as the home team
Four of the last five meetings in Atlanta have gone OVER the total
It would be hard for a team to have a better showing on defense that the Falcons did last week as a four-point favorite in the NFL betting lines against Miami, holding the Dolphins to 259 net yards and forcing four turnovers from a team that gave the ball up only 14 times all of last season. 
They also pretty much shut down any attempts Miami made to establish its Wildcat package. This is all part of the plan of Mike Smith, a former defensive coordinator with Jacksonville, to improve this unit that allowed a robust 4.8 yards a rush last season. The key to that has clearly been the addition of high-energy linebacker Mike Peterson, who had seven tackles, a fumble recovery and a 39-yard interception return last week.
Matt Ryan has already discovered the value of having Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez around. Ryan can always look for him underneath, and Gonzalez provided the offense with five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, and appears to fit right in. Perhaps the good news for the Falcons, a six-point favorite this week in the NFL betting lines, is that they didn’t even need a big day from Michael Turner, last year’s All-Pro who was limited to 65 yards on 22 carries. The Dolphins wanted to concentrate on keeping Turner from making a big impact, and they did, but they paid a price in the process.
Carolina , as a 2.5-point dog in the NFL betting lines, got off to a 7-0 lead last week against Philadelphia but didn’t even have a chance to build on it because Jake Delhomme just continued to turn the ball over. Against the Eagles, Delhomme threw four interceptions and lost a fumble. He has now turned it over eleven time sin the last two games. Josh McCown came in relief, left with an injury and is now out for the year. That left Matt Moore, and by that time most people had left the stadium.
In an effort to expand their options, the Panthers went out and signed A.J. Feeley, who had a great pre-season with the Eagles (76% completions) but got caught up in the numbers game at quarterback and did not survive the cut. Delhomme, who signed a five-year, $42.5 million extension in the off-season, is going to keep his job, and his teammates are solidly behind him, as is coach John Fox. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a tougher guy in that locker room,” says Fox. Center Ryan Kalil says, “In all reality, it’s kind of tough for him to make plays when he’s got guys in his face.”
All of that may be blind faith, and a bad gamble. However, there is a certain nobility to it. As far as the NFL betting lines and our analysis is concerned, what it tells me is that these guys are going to rally around Delhomme, and it wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened in a situation like this. The Panthers still have DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and the Falcons still have defensive line that may have to answer a question or two. Also, Jason Elam did not inspire confidence by missing two field goals and an extra point. We’re taking a shot with a team that is generally pretty well-coached. That’s Carolina, the six-point underdog in the BetUS NFL betting lines.
OUR PLAY: CAROLINA +6 **
