The Atlanta Falcons visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in a default elimination game for a pair of struggling NFC clubs clinging to meager playoff hopes. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Lambeau Field. These rivals are accustomed to meeting for much higher stakes, as they are just two seasons removed from clashing for a Super Bowl berth. Both clubs were among the preseason favorites to win their respective divisions, but have come up short and are likely headed to some level of rebuilding. Fresh off firing longtime coach Mike McCarthy, Green Bay is a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Falcons vs. Packers odds after the line moved as high as 5.5. The over-under for total points scored has risen to 50 from an opening mark of 47.5. Before you lock in your Packers vs. Falcons picks, check out what SportsLine expert R.J. White has to say.

White was SportsLine's most profitable NFL analyst last season and returned $100 bettors a profit of nearly $2,000. He is having another strong season for SportsLine members and enters Week 14 on an impressive 28-13 run with his NFL selections. The renowned prognosticator has cashed big in the prestigious Las Vegas SuperContest two of the last three years.

White also has unparalleled credentials involving these clubs. In fact, he boasts an incredible 44-13 record on spread picks involving the Falcons or Packers over the past three seasons. One of those winners came last week when White advised SportsLine members that the Ravens (+1) would use their top-ranked defense to control the game against the Falcons. Baltimore rolled to a 26-16 victory, and anyone who followed White's advice pocketed a comfortable winner. 

Now. White has analyzed Falcons vs. Packers from every angle and released a confident point-spread selection that is available only at SportsLine. 

White knows both clubs are desperate for a win, primarily to reverse their losing ways and provide hope for a strong finish. The Packers' last victory came in a 31-12 rout of the Dolphins at home. They have since lost three straight, and the low point came last week against the woeful Cardinals. This prompted the unlikely in-season dismissal of McCarthy, who had been at the helm for 13 years. 

Rodgers has led Green Bay to the NFL's No. 8 overall offense at 380.6 yards per game and the sixth-ranked passing attack (274.9). The Packers will need an efficient outing in order to cover against a similarly desperate Falcons team that has dominated this series of late. 

The Falcons routed the Packers, 44-21, in the 2017 NFC title game and followed it up with a 34-32 home win in Week 2 of last season. Atlanta has covered in five straight trips to Green Bay and is on a 4-1 run against the spread overall in the series. 

The Falcons could be headed toward several personnel changes, but there's a pervading sentiment that coach Dan Quinn will likely keep his job. This is because Atlanta's struggles can largely be attributed to a rash of injuries that have seen opening-day starters miss 61 combined games. Quinn also has led the club back from tough times in the past. In 2015, the Falcons started 6-1 before dropping six consecutive games. They won two of their last three and went on to reach the Super Bowl the following season.

We can tell you White is leaning toward the Under, but his much stronger play is on the spread. He has scrutinized this matchup, crunched the stats and found a crucial X-factor that causes one side of the spread to hit hard. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.

Who covers in Falcons vs. Packers? And what crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on Sunday, all from the top NFL analyst who's hitting an astounding 77 percent of his spread picks involving these teams.