Packers Should Be Motivated by Odds to Win NFC
By Peter Dewey
Is this finally the year the Green Bay Packers get over the hump in the NFC?
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have fallen short in the NFC Championship Game in two straight seasons, but they aren’t getting as much respect as you’d expect heading into 2021.
The Packers are fourth on the odds list to win the NFC at WynnBET, coming in at +650 odds. When Rodgers’ future was in question, it made sense that the Packers weren’t as highly valued, but now that he is back, that seems awfully low.
The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorites in the NFC at +275 odds, with the Los Angeles Rams (+550) and San Francisco 49ers (+550) in a dead heat for the second-best odds.
San Francisco made the Super Bowl in the 2019 campaign, but it went just 6-10 due to injuries in the 2020 season. The 49ers still haven’t decided between Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance at quarterback, yet they have better odds than the team with the reigning league MVP.
Matthew Stafford may be an upgrade for the Rams over Jared Goff, but is he enough to put them ahead of Rodgers and the Packers? I honestly don’t think so.
The Packers’ defense doomed them against the Bucs in the NFC Championship Game last season, but they did use a first-round pick on cornerback Eric Stokes to help mitigate those issues.
Somehow, Green Bay kept its offense intact from last season, and with left tackle David Bahktiari, likely returning at some point in 2021 from an ACL injury he suffered last year, Rodgers should have even better protection down the stretch.
That’s scary to think about for opposing defenses.
This goes beyond just Rodgers versus Stafford or Garoppolo/Lance, the Packers have been consistently good, especially under Matt LaFleur, and shouldn't have fallen to the fourth-best odds simply because Rodgers missed most of the offseason.
I’d take the Packers at +650 over anyone but the Bucs, and even then Green Bay provides more value if you really believe in them to finally make the Super Bowl this season.
The odds listed in this breakdown are available over at WynnBET. Make your pick.