NFL Week 5 Sunday Night Football Free Pick: Packers vs Falcons

When the Green Bay Packers invade Atlanta, to face the Falcons on Sunday Night Football, head coach Mike Smith along with QB Matt Ryan and Co. will be looking to avenge one of the most embarrassing loses of their respective careers.

Kickoff for this football betting grudge match is slated for 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, October 9, 2011, from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.

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NFC Foes Battle on NFL Sunday Night Football

Back on Saturday, January 15, 2011, the Packers stormed into the Georgia Dome and routed the Falcons 48-21 in the 2010 NFL Divisional Playoffs.

Atlanta is one of the most Jekyll and Hyde type teams in the entire National Football League. It all starts with QB Matt Ryan who owns a 16-4 record in his last 20 starts at home. Over the same period, Ryan and the Falcons are 10-10 on the road.

Dating back to Wild Card Weekend last season, the Packers are a perfect 5-0 on the road where they have scored an average of 29.4 points per game. That’s bad news for Atlanta as the Packers seem to score at will – no matter where they play.

NFL Week 5 Betting Lines: Packers @ Falcons Free Pick

With their LIVE betting feature locked and loaded, we turn to the sportsbook at the Bodog.com online sports and entertainment wagering website for tonight’s Free Pick betting lines.

This line opened at Packers -5.5 and Falcons betting fans have pushed it up by a point since. What a difference a year makes! In the their NFC Divisional playoff game back in January, the Falcons were -3 point home favorites.

It should be bombs away all night under the Dome as neither of these clubs have much in the way of a pass defense. Green Bay sits 31st in passing yards allowed  (335.8 PG) while the Falcons are 24th (275.5 PG).

With the Packers blowing out every team in their path, their pass defenders get worked over as teams are always playing catch up and they have to abandon the run. For their part, the Falcons simply aren’t very good at pass defense as they were just burnt for 319 passing yards by Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson in Week Four.

We’ve heard lots of talk about how the Falcons are a proud team, how well they play at home, and how much they want to avenge their last loss to the Packers. That’s all fine and good but, through four games, the Packers are clicking on all cylinders and we expect more of the same tonight.

>>> Take GB over ATL at -6.5 (-105) with the Bodog Point Spread <<<