Aaron Rodgers after a bye week is daunting for any coach, even one who was part of the Green Bay Packers’ meetings and practices for eight seasons.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The Packers are listed as seven-point favorites for their Sunday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants, whose rookie head coach Ben McAdoo was on Green Bay’s staff for eight seasons. The total is set at 48 points.
Since Rodgers became their quarterback in 2008, the Packers are 6-2 straight-up and 6-1-1 against the spread in games after a bye week. Green Bay is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games in October.
The bye was probably well-timed for Green Bay. Rodgers and his skill-position complement such as WR Jordy Nelson and RB Eddie Lacy have been less than the sum of their parts. Regardless of who among the Giants’ walking wounded in the secondary – FS Darien Thompson (foot), FS Nat Berhe (concussion), CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (groin) and CB Eli Apple (hamstring) – manages to play, the Packers need to be sharper.
Green Bay’s offensive line has underachieved, and will be up against a good Giants front which includes DE Olivier Vernon, DE Jason Pierre-Paul and DE Damon Harrison.
The Giants are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games as an underdog of seven or more points. New York pass blocks much better than it run blocks, which is problematic since the Packers come into Week 5 with the NFL’s No. 1 run defense. The Giants will need to at least occasionally open a hole for Orleans Darkwa and/or Paul Perkins.
Manning, over the years, has won games with little support in the rushing phase. Manning, WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Victor Cruz and WR Sterling Shephard are facing a team which has been porous against the pass. Green Bay should benefit if SS Morgan Burnett (groin) gets back to full health.
Beckham has let frustration get the better of him in the Giants’ past two losses. A sharper effort from Beckham should be expected.
The visiting team is 7-3 SU in the last 10 editions of this matchup.
The total has gone over in five of the Giants’ last seven games against the Packers. However, the total has gone under in six of the Packers’ last seven home games.
