The Packers are coming off their fourth-straight game with more than 100 rushing yards, and will look to continue their abbreviated two-game win streak when they host the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
The Green Bay Packers came into this season with a lot of question marks, and it turns out those concerns might have been warranted, as the team stumbled out to a 1-2 start before getting a win on the other side of their bye week.
Headline: 49ers Host Packers for Right to Play for NFC Crown
The San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers meet on Saturday night in a game that most people expected before this season started. Two of the best teams heading into 2012/2013 the Niners and the Packers have each looked like dominant forces at times during the year – for the 49ers they looked untouchable early and toward the middle of the season.
Headline: Packers Host Vikings in First NFC Wild Card – Will AP Do It Again?
The first of the NFC Wild Card games goes this Saturday from Lambeau Field and features a rematch of a scintillating Week 17 game in which the Vikings qualified for the postseason with a 37-34 win. While the Vikings come into Saturday’s matchup as arguably the hotter of the two teams, there is no doubt which is the better all around squad.
Headline: Packers Look to Keep Playoff March Going – Host Titans in Week 16
The newly crowned NFC North Champion Green Bay Packers will be looking to keep the momentum going this week as they build for what they hope is a long playoff run. This week they host a Tennessee team that has long been out of the playoff picture but will have motivation as they try to stake claim for next year’s squad.
Headline: Lions Relegated to Spoiler Role in NFC North – Lions and Packers at Lambeau Week 14
Many of us had December 9 circled on our calendars as an NFC North matchup that could determine the state of the division. Instead, we will see a matchup a chronically underachieving Detroit squad against a Green Bay team that has shaken the early season doldrums and has looked every bit the Super Bowl challenger that we envisioned before the season started. Sunday’s game has major implications – unfortunately for Detroit, none of the implications involve them!
Detroit Lions (4-8) vs. Green Bay Packers (8-4)
Date/Time: Sunday, December 9, 8:20 PM ET
Venue: Lambeau Field
Broadcast: NBC
Lions vs. Packers Betting Lines from betonline.com
Spread: Packers -6 1/2 (-110)
Moneyline: OFF
Over/Under: 52 points
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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Before the season started nobody would have predicted that the Detroit Lions would be battling for yet another Top 10 pick in the 2013 draft but that is just where we are 12 games into the season. The good news for Detroit is that Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are on the verge of rewriting the record books again. The bad news is that no matter what they do their running game and defense will more than likely fail their end of the bargain.
Detroit leads the NFL in passing through 13 weeks with an average of 312.50 yards per game and they are 21st in rushing. Matthew Stafford has thrown for 3429 yards and 14 touchdowns. Calvin Johnson is living up to his Megatron name with 1257 yards so far this season; however, he has only tallied four touchdowns.
Johnson has 790 yards receiving in the last five games and he did have five catches for 143 yards in the first meeting between the two teams. The Lions can score points as well – they are 11th in the NFL with an average of 25.00 points per game.
The Lions will absolutely need more from their running game this week – Adrian Peterson showed last week that the Packers can be run on. Do I trust Mikel Leshoure? Nope!
Detroit’s defense has been a problem all season long. Despite some serious talent on the O-line, this team is prone to big plays and their games often result in shootouts because of it. The Lions are 18th against the pass and 19th versus the run. They give up 26.25 points per game – good for an ugly 25th in the NFL. This unit has given up an average of 31.75 points per game during the Lions four game losing streak as well.
The Green Bay Packers have emerged from their 2-3 start but have gone 6-1 since. Have they looked unstoppable in their wins? Not exactly. Are they getting it done in a host of different ways? Absolutely.
Injuries have been a big part of the 2012 season thus far for Green Bay and by the looks of it, there will be some starters on both sides of the ball absent again this week. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Green Bay is surprisingly 11th in the NFL in passing thanks to fill-ins Randall Cobb and James Jones. Greg Jennings is back healthy but now Jordy Nelson is in danger of missing a week or two. Fear not Packers fans – Aaron Rodgers can make anyone look like an All-Pro. The question surrounding this offense is the O-line that has been shaky to say the least this year. Keeping Rodgers healthy and upright is paramount for this team – the line will be tested for sure against Detroit’s pass rush.
The Green Bay defense has also been playing without some quality starters – Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson are in danger of missing this week as well. Still, the Packers defense is 17th against the pass, 15th versus the run and they are 13 in points against – 21.58 per game.
Betting Prediction:
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games
• The total has gone OVER in 13 of Detroit’s last 16 games on the road
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Green Bay
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit’s last 7 games when playing Green Bay
• Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
• Green Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
• Green Bay is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Detroit
• Green Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Late game meltdowns have become a pattern for the Detroit Lions as of late – I see the same thing happening here. The Lions defense has been BAD the last month and Aaron Rodgers has been very good. Rodgers also has a good history against Detroit – in his last two games Rogers has a 70% completion percentage and seven touchdowns versus Detroit. The Lions will put up a fight but when it comes down to the end, Green Bay, on home field, in December against a struggling team won’t be denied.
Pick: Green Bay Packers -6 1/2
The Packers (6-3) have won 4 straight, but they are really banged up and will miss a few players on both sides of the ball in this game. The Lions (4-5) had been playing well before last week’s game where they struggled on defense in the loss to the Vikings.
Headline: Improving Rams Host Rejuvenated Packers in Week 7
The Green Bay Packers, fresh off their Week 6 National Television beat down of the Houston Texans look to keep their roll going as they head to St. Louis to take on Jeff Fisher’s Rams – a team that has looked better on both sides of the ball so far this season. The question ahead of this game is – which Packers team will show up?
Headline: Put Up or Shut Up Time for the Packers – Green Bay versus Houston in Week 6
Who thought that the Green Bay Packers would have four losses after six weeks of the 2012 season? Liar! This absurd suggestion could become a reality when the struggling Packers visit the top team in the NFL Houston on Sunday night. Both teams sustained significant injuries in Week 5 – it will be interesting to see just how they adjust this week.
Well, it is that time of the year again. The NFL season is rapidly approaching, and with that comes the first slate of preseason action.
As usual, we won’t see a much of the projected starters for more than the one series over the next few weeks. Instead, this is where we will observe some of the younger guns attempting to seal their spot on the roster, as well as watching some veterans trying to hold on for one more season.
A trip to this season’s NFC Championship Game will be on the line this Sunday afternoon when the No.4-seed New York Giants and the No.1-seed Green Bay Packers clash at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
The Detroit Lions clinched a playoff berth last week and for all intents and purposes this is somewhat of a meaningless game.
The undefeated Green Bay Packers invade MetLife Stadium this Sunday afternoon to tangle with the New York Giants, who suddenly find themselves in desperate need of a win.
It wasn’t very long ago that when the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings met, it was a battle between two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, with the intriguing sidebar of mentor versus student and all of the excitement that went down in Wisconsin along the way. For years it was Aaron Rodgers learning behind Brett Favre in Green Bay.
The St. Louis Rams have to be hoping that the bye week cast a little magic on their team. This week, St. Louis is faced with the prospect of taking their winless record into Lambeau field to take on a Packers team that is absolutely on a role.
Four games in to the 2011-12 NFL season, the message is clear: The NFC road to the Super Bowl will go through Wisconsin.
