The argument could be made that the best way to bet on the New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers game on Thursday night is to just watch and bet the game live with BookMaker's live betting platform, knowing that Bill Belichick is going to play everything very close to the vest.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Is there really a reason for the Patriots to fling the ball all over Gillette Stadium in the first preseason game? Of course there isn't. But will they? It's entirely possible.
The big question is how long Tom Brady is going to be in this game. He might not play at all. He might play the entire first half. Hell, Belichick could use him the entire game just to prove that he can play with properly inflated footballs.
In all likelihood though, we're going to see a heck of a lot out of Jimmy Garoppolo, who will end up starting the first four game of the season following the "Deflategate" suspension handed out to Brady. Matt Flynn will finish the game off in all likelihood if Garoppolo doesn't go basically the distance.
Green Bay is very likely to go with a more conservative approach. Aaron Rodgers will probably play sparingly, which isn't surprising, especially since there is a big three-way fight between Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley and Matt Blanchard to see who will back up Rodgers this season.
WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALL
You never quite know what to expect when the Pats have the ball. New England let Garoppolo throw the ball 42 times in the opening game of the preseason last year against Washington, but in the last game of the preseason in a similar situation, Belichick called for almost twice as many running plays as passing plays.
Logic would tell you that the passing game isn't as important for New England right now. The Pats need to figure out this backfield. They've got a whopping nine running backs on the roster right now, and at best, five are going to be on the team.
Mike McCarthy has a tendency to not let his vets play all that long in the preseason on defense, and that means we won't see much of guys like Clay Mathews or Julius Peppers. That said, there are eight rookies trying to make this roster on defense, so don't be shocked if you see a lot of blown assignments.
WHEN GREEN BAY HAS THE BALL
Green Bay's offense never really looks that spectacular when you watch it in the preseason, especially when Rodgers isn't out there, yet when push comes to shove, this team just keeps scoring. The Pack put up at least 16 points in all of their preseason games last year.
However, live bettors should be aware of just how vanilla this offense really is once the starters are out. The Packers used to be an over machine in the preseason; Mike McCarthy is a tremendous 24-12 for over bettors in his career in exhibitions. That said, the club is just 3-6 towards the over in its last nine preseason games, and a lot of that is because the offense has spent more time just trying to get these games over with than trying to score.
TREND TO TRACK
Belichick just loves to beat teams whenever he can, and starting off the season with a win is something he has become accustomed to. The future Hall of Fame coach is 11-5 in his career in Week 1 of the preseason.
On the flip side, live bettors should be aware that McCarthy is just 2-7 in Week 1 in his nine seasons in charge of the Packers.
The NFL odds for this Thursday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the New England Patriots were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 37.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers is set for Thursday, August 13, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The matchup will be televised live on WBZ and NBC 4.
