NFL Free
Pick | Panthers @ Packers
Green Bay
took over possession of the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win last week and a
New Orleans loss. The battle for that first-round bye continues as the Packers
welcome Carolina to the Frozen Tundra at Lambeau Field. The nation’s best sports handicappers
will be all over this one.
It will be
a little frosty on Saturday night with temperatures in the low 30s dropping
into the 20s, but that’s nothing for QB Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’
top-scoring NFL offense. Will it hamper Carolina and their quarterback Teddy
Bridgewater?
AMERICA’S
BOOKIE SETS THE STANDARD IN ONLINE SPORTS BETTING
Game:
Carolina Panthers (4-9, 7-6 ATS) at Green Bay Packers (10-3, 8-5 ATS)
When:
8:15 PM ET, Saturday, December 19, 2020
Where:
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Current
Line: GB -8.5 Total:
51.5
TV Coverage:
NFL Network
Steadying
the Boat
The
Panthers appeared to be off to a strong start early in the season, but a number
of injuries have contributed heavily to a string of seven straight losses with
Bridgewater as the starting quarterback. Star running back Christian McCaffrey
has been out and Bridgewater has missed time as well.
Green Bay,
on the other hand, has simply been tearing it up. The offense averages 31.8
points per game and Rodgers is having an MVP-worthy season. The Packers have
won five of their last six. The only loss was a 34-31 overtime defeat at 9-4
Indianapolis.
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Betting
against Rodgers is not necessarily a good thing. He has one of the best records
against the spread of any quarterback in the game. Surprisingly, so does
Bridgewater.
Bridgewater,
of course, has had a much shorter career and an injury-plagued one at that. In
six years and 46 career NFL starts, the Panthers quarterback is 33-13 ATS.
That’s a pretty strong 71 percent winning percentage. That’s not all.
Need
another FREE PICK? Go
check it out here.
Bridgewater
is even better against the spread when he’s playing as the underdog. He’s 23-6
ATS in such games (79.3 percent).
In 2020,
Carolina has been the favorite in three games. Their record in those games? 0-3
ATS.
As an
underdog, the Panthers are 6-3 ATS. Two of the losses came to Tampa Bay, which
has had Carolina’s number recently. Carolina has covered as a six-point road
underdog against the Chargers, as a seven-point road underdog to New Orleans
(with Drew Brees), and as a 10-point road underdog against the 12-1 Kansas City
Chiefs.
We pushed
our last pick, we had the Football Team +3 versus the Lions, it was a 30-27
final. Check it out at Washington
@ Detroit free pick.
On the
other side, the Packers have had some difficulty covering as a large favorite.
Just last week, they were a 7.5-point favorite at Detroit and failed to cover.
They had similar results as a 13.5-point home favorite against the now 1-12
Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Pick
is In
What many
might overlook is while the Packers offense lights it up their defense gives up
24.8 points a game. Green Bay’s run defense in particular is not all that
great. The Packers give up 4.6 yards per carry, sixth-worst in the NFL.
Carolina’s
Mike Davis has done an admirable job filling in for McCaffrey. While he has
success against a suspect Green Bay run defense, look for Bridgewater to do
well enough against a Packers pass defense that only pressures the quarterback
21 percent of the time.
While Green
Bay likely still beats the Panthers, Carolina will find a way to keep it close
and cover the 8.5-point spread.
NFL Free
Pick: CAROLINA +8.5
