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The shorthanded New England Patriots will partake in an inter-conference duel with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in what should be an interesting battle! With that being said, let's take a look at our NFL odds series, where our Patriots-Packers prediction and pick will be made.
New England's worst nightmare came true last Sunday when QB Mac Jones sustained a gnarly ankle injury after getting tackled awkwardly late in the team's loss to the Ravens. With Jones not being able to suit up, the Pats will turn to a savvy veteran in Brian Hoyer, who has been in the league for 14 years and is one of the more solid backup quarterbacks to play the game. With a record of 1-2 coming into this one, do Bill Belichick and company have enough tricks up their sleeves to upset Green Bay at Lambeau?
After an extremely concerning opening season loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers have regained control of the ship and have reeled off back-to-back impressive wins against the Bears and Buccaneers. Simply put, Green Bay appears to be one of the top overall squads in the NFC once again in 2022. Already with a record of 2-1, another convincing victory would officially put the rest of the NFL on notice.
Here are the Patriots-Packers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Patriots-Packers Odds
New England Patriots: +9.5 (-110)
Green Bay Packers: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 39.5 (-114)
Under: 39.5 (-106)
Why The Patriots Could Cover The Spread
While the odds may be stacked against them, bettors should know by now to never underestimate what the greatest coach in the history of the NFL is able to pull off even being shorthanded. No doubt about it, the injury to Mac Jones is a costly one. Not only does this affect New England this weekend but there is a strong chance that the former Alabama standout field general may be sidelined for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury that seemed so severe that you could distinctly hear Jones screaming in agony as he limped his way to the locker room.
Nevertheless, the Patriots will have to put their faith in backup Brian Hoyer, who has shown throughout his career that he can remain steady in leading the troops to victory. In order to avoid Hoyer making catastrophic mistakes in the passing game, expect New England to focus their game plan around a running game that is averaging roughly 115 yards per game. If New England can stay ahead of the chains and work ahead of schedule, then their offense may be able to surprise some folks by moving the ball effectively in that sense.
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Most definitely, it is always a challenge for any team to stop Aaron Rodgers and a Packers offensive attack, but Green Bay has appeared to be human thus far with the ball in their possession up to this point. The good news is that New England matches up quite well against the Packers in that sense especially since the Pats are only surrendering 333 yards per game.
Why The Packers Could Cover The Spread
At some point, this Packers offense is going to break out in a big way. A year ago, Green Bay was among the league's best in finding pay dirt and moving the ball at will. So far this season, Green Bay has had to trust their defense to be stout and make some plays due to the offenses' ineptness.
Throughout the entire offseason, many assumed that the weapons at Aaron Rodgers' disposal would be limited especially after the departure of Davante Adams to Las Vegas. However, one name to watch out for offensively in the green and yellow is the rookie fourth-round pick wideout out of Nevada Romeo Doubs, who is coming off an impressive eight-catch performance for 83 yards in the victory over the Bucs. With that being said, look out for Rodgers to spread the football around to many different pass catchers in an attempt to keep a stingy Patriots' defense on their toes.
With the offense capable of exploding at any second, it has been the defense of Green Bay that has squashed the opposition's hopes and dreams to come out triumphant. In their opening three games, the Packers have suffocated and swarmed their foes with a nasty front seven that has made life very difficult for offenses. In fact, Green Bay has only allowed 22 points in their previous two games combined and will look to rattle Hoyer all game long on Sunday.
Final Patriots-Packers Prediction & Pick
Yes, the Patriots may come into this matchup with a terrific game plan that will keep this one close at first, but it is hard to imagine that Brian Hoyer can match Aaron Rodgers consistently in the points department. Not to mention, but the Packers are always a tough team to beat at Lambeau Field.
Final Patriots-Packers Prediction & Pick: Packers -9.5 (-110)
