Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers Free Football Picks

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers Free Football Picks: I almost feel like somebody’s watching me make this bet, and then I’m going to be put on some candid camera because it’s all a farce. Well, I guess it seems about right – the Falcons are on the road, playing a team they should walk right past, but they’ve won all their games by small margins, so this is a trap bet. Except that it’s Carolina. Shouldn’t playing the Panthers trump all other things? I seriously believe that. Carolina was up 14-3 going into halftime in Seattle and they ended up getting hammered. PS, the Hawks are not good.

PSS – the Falcons, they are very good. Sure, they have toughed out a lot of victories in close circumstances, but they don’t play the Panthers every week – and most of the teams they’ve been beating by the slimmest of margins are solid teams – Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Baltimore, Tampa again, Cleveland, New Orleans – they’ve covered most of the spreads here, even if they have been close – and that means they’re playing and beating good football teams. The only “close” games they’ve had against bad teams came against Cincinnati and San Francisco, both teams that have proven their ability to play tight against good teams.

Against teams like Cleveland and St. Louis – Atlanta has had no trouble winning by double digits. Both of those teams are twice as good as the Panthers. Listen, anything can happen in the NFL – a beat down can turn into a 7-point lead if the “prevent” shows up to help you blow your cover – but this one should be a walk on the moon.

Atlanta Falcons (-7) @ Carolina Panthers