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While the New Orleans Saints have turned their season around with three straight victories to climb above .500 for the first time since the 2013 season, life for the Green Bay Packers just became much more difficult. The Pack lost Aaron Rodgers to a potentially season-ending injury when his collarbone snapped on a tackle against the Vikings. Taking the best player off the field certainly impacted Green Bay last week as they were unable to sustain anything with Brett Hundley behind center. Hundley will make his first career start in Week 7 as he tries to keep the Packers afloat.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 7 game is set for Sunday, October 22, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New Orleans Saints (Check Back Later)
Green Bay Packers (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
The opening line has yet to hit the board, but according to some oddsmakers Rodgers is worth 6-7 points depending on the opponent. You can’t replace the best quarterback in the game and the Packers are likely an underdog when the line does surface.
Injury Report
Aaron Rodgers – The Packers have dealt with numerous injuries this season and were able to overcome all of them while posting a 4-1 record. The one player they couldn’t afford to lose was Rodgers, and now that’s happened. The Pack wasn’t able to get off the mat after that blow and dropped a 23-10 decision to Minnesota on Sunday. Rodgers could be done for the year after suffering a broken collarbone and the team was obviously distraught as they attempted to play the remainder of Sunday’s game. Hundley will get his first NFL start as the team tries to move on from the loss, but it’s something that will be difficult to do.
Bryan Bulaga – Green Bay’s starting right tackle returned after missing a few games with an ankle injury and was sent to the bench with a concussion. He’s listed as questionable moving forward, which would hamper the ability of the line to protect Hundley against an aggressive Saints front.
Player to Watch
Brett Hundley – You don’t replace Rodgers, at least not yet. The former MVP will leave the game some day, but he was playing the best football of his career and the Packers were rolling. Hundley saw plenty of action during the preseason to prepare for his chance to play, and the time is now. He didn’t fare so well when taking over for Rodgers last week, completing 18 of 33 passes for 157 yards with three interceptions. He did throw his first touchdown pass, but failed to move the offense in a game that was hanging in the balance.
The Packers were obviously stunned by what took place and that certainly affected their mood and play. Given a week to come to terms with the Rodgers situation and prepare with Hundley taking first team reps should make them better at handling the Saints. But you just don’t plug in someone new at the position Rodgers has owned and expect similar results. The Saints will pressure Hundley much like the Vikings did, and the hope for Green Bay is that he handles it better.
Free ATS Pick
The Saints are a confident group after winning three straight games and climbing back into the race. They would have liked their chances at beating the Packers even if Rodgers was playing. They really like their chances now. The defense has been the catalyst behind the surge, pitching a shutout against the Dolphins a few weeks back and scoring three touchdowns in a win over Detroit.
But some of the issues that bothered the team early in the season still remain. The Saints allowed Detroit to nearly comeback from a 35-point deficit and surrendered a startling 38 points. The Packers won’t have Rodgers throwing the ball, but they still have playmakers in the passing game that will make things difficult for New Orleans. And expect a better showing from Hundley and the Pack after having a week to absorb the reality of the situation and move on. A lot of people are counting the Packers out and that could be a mistake.
NFL Odds: Packers 31, Saints 30
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