Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles Odds
Prior to the season, the Green Bay Packers were an attractive pick to win the Super Bowl. They’ll have to win four straight games away from home, however, in order to hoist the trophy named after the man who led them to two Super Bowl titles.
Winning away from home figures to be no easy task for a team that was 3-5 on the road during the regular season. However, they face a Philadelphia Eagles team that was just 4-4 at home in Sunday’s NFC Wild Card showdown.
NFL odds makers have given Philly the edge, listing the Eagles as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 46.
History is not on Green Bay’s side in this one. No team has won the Super Bowl after finishing the regular season with a losing record on the road. In addition, no sixth seed has ever represented the NFC in the biggest game of the year.
However, Green Bay did win 27-20 at Philadelphia in Week 1. Philly supporters will point to the fact that Michael Vick didn’t enter that game until the Eagles were already facing a double-digit deficit. Packers backers will point out that their team’s game plan centered around stopping starter Kevin Kolb, not Vick. The Packers should be more prepared for Vick this time around, and they’ll have to be, as he gets the start Sunday.
This matchup will likely come down to which quarterback performs at a higher level. Aaron Rodgers led the NFC with a 101.2 passer rating and Vick was right behind with a 100.2 rating.
Rodgers may have the edge, considering he got some much-needing playoff experience last season. Vick hasn’t started a playoff game since 2004.
Rodgers may also have the edge because he is backed up by the better defensive unit, one that only allowed 15.0 points per game this season (2nd in the NFL).
Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews, who could take home the award this season, lead Green Bay’s stingy stop unit. Matthews finished second in the NFC with 13.5 sacks and his pressure will go a long way toward slowing down Vick.
The Eagles are 3-7 against the number in their last 10 home games as a favorite of 3.0 or fewer points.
The Eagles may have the worst home record in the playoffs, but it can’t be overlooked that Andy Reid’s teams are 7-1 in postseason openers. Plus, Green Bay may not be ready for an offense that is much more explosive than the one it saw in Week 1.
The Eagles are tied for first in the league with 80 plays of 20-plus yards. Third-year wide receiver DeSean Jackson is perhaps the most explosive player in the NFL. He personally had 21 catches of at least 20 yards, with five of those grabs going for 50 or more.
In addition, Running back LeSean McCoy led the league with five carries of 40-plus yards.
The Eagles will likely need these two to make some big plays in order to get past Green Bay Sunday. They only combined for 112 yards in the season’s first meeting.
Haunting the Packers is the fact that they have lost their last four playoff games on the road.
Dating back to 1994, Philadelphia has won six of its last seven at home against the Packers.
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