Saturday 12/19/20 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Trace Adams

Green Bay had about as good of a Sunday as you can have, as the Packers improved to 10-3 with their touchdown win - no cover though! - at Detroit for their 3rd win in a row which allowed them to clinch the NFC North title for the second year in a row. A little bit later in the day the Pack moved up to a tie for the best overall record in the NFC when the New Orleans Saints were stung by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before we clear the path to the overall # 1 seed in the conference though there is this tricky game at home against Carolina they must take care of. While the straight up win does appear to be a forgone conclusion - the Panthers having lost 7 of their last 8 games, Carolina has been competitive for the most part for Matt Rhule in his first season with the team. The Panthers have played the majority of the season without their star running back Christian McCaffery who remains sidelined with a thigh injury, but they have made the most of their underdog opportunities with 7 covers in their 8 attempts in the dog role.

The Panthers have covered 5 straight away from home, including a cover at the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is no stranger to tangling with Aaron Rodgers and his Packers from his days with the Minnesota Vikings.

Carolina's offense is obviously much better when McCaffery is in there, but Teddy B and his mates have done a credible job posting points in his absence and this Green Bay defense can be had - heck they allowed 24 to the Lions last week and 25 to the Bears a few weeks ago. It is unlikely Bridgewater is going to outduel potential league MVP Aaron Rodgers, not many quarterbacks do, but with the Pack's defense plenty leaky, there will be ample opportunity for the Panthers to sneak themselves inside the back door for their 6th cover in a row on the road.

Go with the Panthers plus the points.

1* CAROLINA

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mitchell Newman

Saturday night in the NFL going to give the Carolina Panthers plus the generous points a go at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay improved to 10-3 straight up on the year on Sunday when they held off a bad Detroit Lions team at Ford Field in a game the Packers could not cover as the over a touchdown favorite.

That's significant because Matt LaFleur's team seems to do just enough this year to get the straight up win, but earning the against the spread cover has been another matter.

Green Bay is no better .500 their last 8 games this year when installed as the favorite - just 4-4.

Visiting Carolina is just 4-9 this season under first-year head coach Matt Rhule and they have played the majority of their games this season without their star running back Christian McCaffery.

Even so, the Panthers have found a way to stay competitive in most of their games, especially away from home where they have covered each of their last 4 - all in the underdog role - and they are on a nice 7-1 run their last 8 when getting points from the oddsmakers!

Teddy Bridgewater knows a thing or two about playing at Lambeau Field from his playing days with the Minnesota Vikings as well.

I will not call for the outright upset as Green Bay is now gunning for the number one seed - and only bye - in the NFC standings, but I will call for Carolina to stay inside of this generous spot from the linemakers.

Take the Panthers plus the points.

2* CAROLINA

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Gus Augustine

My Complimentary Winner... I'm 6-2-1 with complimentary plays since my return.

I'm looking ahead to Saturday, before the line gets out of hand on the Carolina Panthers visiting the Green Bay Packers. I'll lay the points here, as Green Bay now has the No. 1 seed in the NFC, by virtue of head-to-head tiebreak. Knowing the New Orleans Saints play the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Packers will be looking to put this away with a statement.

Carolina, which has failed to cover six straight in December, will be hard-pressed to stop the highest-scoring team in football. Green Bay's has scored a league-leading 410 points and gained an NFL second-best 5,169 yards. The Packers end their drives with a score 48.9% of the time - also second-best in the league.

And the problem for the Panthers in this game is their defense, which allows teams to end their drives with a score a league second-worst 48.0% of the time.

They rank near the bottom of the league in quarterback knockdowns per attempt (9th at 7.3%), they have just 19 sacks (tied for 6th), and their 97 missed tackles is eighth-highest in the league.

None of that bodes well against Aaron Rodgers, who efficiency has been impeccable over his last six games, completing 148 of 199 attempts (74.3%) for an average of 289.5 yards per game. His TD-to-INT in that time span is 19-to-2.

This has been an intriguing matchup for Rodgers over the years, losing three of his first five against the Panthers. He won the last time he faced Carolina, last season, 24-16, at home.

And speaking about intriguing, Rodgers has played in 11 Week 15 games, 10 of them on the road, going 3-7 in those games. Last year was the first time he enjoyed a Week 15 game at home, defeating the Chicago Bears, 21-13.

With as bad as the Panthers are defensively, and as much as the Packers need to continue to win if they want to stay home in the playoffs, I'd say Week 15 at home against Carolina is the right spot for Rodgers and Green Bay.

2* PACKERS