A rematch of the NFC Divisional Round is set to take place as the Green Bay Packers meet up with the San Francisco 49ers where the stakes will be a whole let less when the pair last met. With that being said, it is about that time to take a sneak peek into our NFL preseason odds series, where our Packers-49ers prediction and pick will be selected.
After a rollercoaster of an offseason that left Packers fans with a migraine, franchise QB Aaron Rodgers provided some much-needed relief when he finally announced to return to Green Bay for an 18th season with the Packers after coming to terms on a four-year extension that will pay the 38-year-old $150 million throughout the first few seasons of the deal. With the Packers not having to give the keys to backup QB Jordan Love yet, Green Bay should be considered Super Bowl contenders as long as Rodgers is under center at Lambeau.
San Francisco's offseason was far from anti-climatic as well, as swirling questions surrounding who will be the quarterback in 2022 only increased with time. Finally, after months of speculation, head coach Kyle Shanahan publicly announced at the end of July that this would be Trey Lance's team and that they would be moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo. A new era is set to take place in the Bay area, can the second-year man out of North Dakota State be the guy moving forward?
Here are the Packers-49ers NFL preseason odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Preseason Odds: Packers-49ers Odds
Green Bay Packers: +2.5 (-105)
San Francisco 49ers: -2.5 (-115)
Over: 33.5 (-110)
Under: 33.5 (-110)
Why The Packers Could Cover The Spread
Heading into postseason play last season, the Packers clinched yet another year of home-field advantage throughout the NFC as Aaron Rodgers captured his fourth MVP trophy after passing for 4,115 yards and firing 37 touchdowns. However, the ghosts of old reared their ugly faces after Green Bay endured yet another heartbreaking playoff loss at Lambeau Field to the 49ers. While many believed the lay down loss was the end of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay, the longtime Packers quarterback decided that Wisconsin was still the best fit for him to win football games moving forward with a new contract extension to stay in the yellow and green.
Yes, the Packers may be looking up at the Rams and Buccaneers in the NFC especially after losing wideout Davante Adams to Vegas, but this is still a very complete team that is also extremely dissatisfied with how their season concluded seven months ago. While Green Bay will try their best to stay healthy in their preseason opener, Rodgers will sit the bench for the first couple preseason games as Jordan Love will get the first rep snaps on Friday. Love will most likely be the key in whether or not the Pack can cover the spread in this one, as the Utah State product and first-round draft pick from a couple seasons ago has much to prove. Without a doubt, it is put up or shut up time for Love and his desire to be a quality NFL quarterback.
Why The 49ers Could Cover The Spread
After Jimmy Garoppolo led San Francisco to a Super Bowl Appearance in 2019 and a trip to the NFC Championship last season, the cruel business of the NFL showed up in a big way. Instead of rolling out with Jimmy G for another season, the Niners will use Garoppolo as a trading piece in hopes that a quarterback starved team will come calling for his services. When the Niners selected Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the general consensus was that at some point this would become Lance's team. Now, that moment has arrived. After further affirmation in Lance's skills this offseason, San Fran's coaching staff is finally giving him the keys to the convertible.
Unlike many other starters in Week 1 action of the preseason, Lance will instead get the start on Friday in an attempt to prove to the organization that he can be the guy to build off of for years to come. When it comes to Friday's matchup against the Packers, the Niners could cover the spread with Lance facing off with second and third-string players in Green Bay's defense. With an uncanny ability to escape the pocket with his legs and a cannon for an arm, the former NDSU star's raw talent should be on full display.
Also, the Niners will have a major advantage in this one in large part that Kyle Shanahan has publicly stated that numerous starters will get playing time Friday. In comparison to the Packers sitting most of their guys, San Francisco should gang up on Green Bay in the early stages of this one.
Final Packers-49ers Prediction & Pick
This rematch from January will certainly look quite different in the preseason, as it should be intriguing which players on both sides will choose to suit up for action. At the end of the day, San Fran's want to play more starters than the Packers and their overall depth as a whole will give them the spread-covering victory on Friday.
Final Packers-49ers Prediction & Pick: 49ers -2.5 (-115)
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